Irish women near bottom of EU scale for top jobs

IRISH women languish close to the bottom of the scale, under-represented in politics and business and shut out of top posts, according to an EU report.

The Government was accused of paying just lip service to the idea of gender equality amid demands Ireland follow other countries in introducing a quota system for women TDs.

Irish women are caught up in a vicious cycle where, because they are not in key positions in society, they are having little effect in influencing policies that affect their lives, according to the National Women’s Council of Ireland.

In some areas the position of women is stagnating or getting worse. Ireland is one of three EU countries where there are fewer women in the Oireachtas than in 2004 while there are less women managers than in the rest of the EU.

Ireland has one of the lowest percentages of women in the Dáil at about 13%. The EU average is 24% with the highest, Sweden, at 47%. The report notes for women to have any meaningful influence they need a 30% representation.

Generally in the EU, men outnumber women in the cabinet by three to one but in Ireland this is five to one.

Where women are found tends to be in areas of soft power. Most female government ministers have social portfolios (60% in Ireland) while very few are found in the powerful or high profile areas of finance and foreign relations.

This is reflected too in the civil service of all countries where there are more women than men working in the social/cultural departments.

In the civil service, 85% of the top posts filled by men.

Ms O’Connor, head of policy of the National Women’s Council, said there must be a quota system to ensure greater Dáil representation for women.

The Government has committed itself to achieving greater equality on paper but had failed to achieve this. For instance, they set a target of appointing 40% women to state boards, but have not done so.

“The issue of quotas is very challenging because many men would lose their seats,” Ms O’Connor said.

Quotas have proved worthwhile and where there is better female representation there are better facilities for families for instance, such as in Norway, she said.

Equal Opportunities commissioner Vladimír Spidla, launching the report said progress on getting more women decision-makers has been too slow.

“If we believe in the values of democracy, we cannot leave half of the population outside the structures of power. Gender equality is also good for business. Our economies must reap the full potential of all our talents if we are to face up to global competition. This means smashing the glass ceiling once and for all.”