Working together to champion equality between the sexes

The active participation of men and boys in challenging gender stereotypes and attitudes is crucial if we are to become a fully inclusive and equal society, says Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

AS MINISTER of state with responsibility for gender equality, I have, at times, found myself in the unusual situation of being one of a small number of men in a room full of women.

It is disconcerting to walk into a room and to find your gender is significantly under-represented. Yet, in Ireland, this is the norm for female senior executives in our workplaces, for women on boards, and, of course, for women in politics. It is only in recent times that we have begun to question why half of our population is all but absent from our senior decision-making positions.