GENDER EQUALITY IRELAND AND THE EU AN OVERVIEW 2008 By Pauline - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

GENDER EQUALITY – IRELAND AND THE EU

AN OVERVIEW 2008 By Pauline Moreau

Gender Equality Division

TOPICS TODAY

 A Quiz  A little history  Gender Equality and the EU  Gender Equality in Ireland

THE QUIZ

 Thirty years after the equality

legislation was put in place, why are we still addressing Gender Equality in Ireland?

 Roughly half our citizens are

women, so what percentage of politicians in the Dáil/Seanad are women?

THE QUIZ

 Women make up about 45 per cent of

• ur work force, so what percentage
• f major private enterprises

(Ireland’s Top 500) are headed by a woman?

 Women make up 67 per cent of all

general service grades in the Civil Service, so what is the percentage of women in the A/Sec to Sec Gen grades taken together?

A LITTLE HISTORY

 1971 : Commission on the Status of Women

favoured, among other issues

 Equal pay  Women to have choice to remain in work after

marriage

 1973 : Ireland joined the EEC

 Equality between women and men enshrined in

the Treaty of Rome

 Ireland required to transpose EEC Equality

Legislation including, over time

 Right to remain in the work place upon marriage  Equal pay  Maternity leave  Maternity protection

A LITTLE HISTORY

 Ireland’s socio-economic structures

changed significantly – more women at work, population better educated, modern economy emerged…

 In 1991, the Second Commission on

the Status of Women recommended

 National minimum wage  Need for childcare policy  Women’s increased participation in public life

EUROPEAN UNION AND GENDER

 Mid–term of 1994 -1999 Structural Funds

Programme - Commission recommended increased investment in Childcare in Ireland to support women at work

 Lisbon Strategy 2000:



Create the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy capable of sustaining economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion



Increase female labour market participation for economic growth and to support aging population – pensions



Invest in people and build an active welfare state

EUROPEAN UNION AND GENDER

 2006 Spring European Council

 Acknowledged that gender equality

policies are vital to economic growth, prosperity and competitiveness

 …It is time to make a firm commitment at

European level to implement policies to promote women’s employment and to ensure a better work life balance

 Approved the European Gender Pact.

EUROPEAN GENDER PACT

 Encourage actions by MS and at Union

level under the headings:

 Measures to close gender gaps and combat

gender stereotypes in the labour market

 Measures to promote a better work life

balance for all

 Measures to reinforce governance through

gender mainstreaming and better monitoring

EUROPEAN GENDER PACT

 New EU policy documents and draft

regulations in relation to

 Enhanced maternity protection (Ireland

already in a better situation)

 Better leave entitlements – parental leave;

shared leave; etc (Economic issues for Ireland if these were to be paid leaves; issues for private sector)

 Enhanced initiatives on gender

mainstreaming and gender budgeting

 Disaggregated statistics is a first step

NATIONAL POLICY ON GENDER

 Implementation of Legislation – Equality

Authority and Tribunal

 National Women’s Strategy 2007 – 2016  Programme of Positive Actions – Equality

for Women Measure

 Gender Mainstreaming  International Commitments

NATIONAL WOMEN’S STRATEGY 2007 - 2016

 A ten year “All of Government” Strategy  Launched by the Taoiseach in April 2007  Funding of €58 million promised under NDP  20 Key objectives and more than 200

actions to achieve

An Ireland where all women enjoy equality with men and can achieve their full potential while enjoying a safe and fulfilling life

NATIONAL WOMEN’S STRATEGY KEY THEMES – THE THREE “E”s

Ensuring Women’s Well being Engaging Women as Equal and Active Citizens Equalising Socio Economic Opportunity For Women WOMEN IN IRELAND

NWS - THEME 1

 EQUALISING SOCIO-ECONOMIC

OPPORTUNITY (1)

 Work  Increasing nos. of women at work  Tackling the gender pay gap  Advancing women’s careers  Education and women  Subject choices

NWS - THEME 1 (Contd.)

 EQUALISING SOCIO-ECONOMIC

OPPORTUNITY (2)

Women and caring

 Childcare/ disabled care/elder care

Women and poverty

 Family wellbeing  Lone parents  Older age  Women’s pensions

NWS - THEME 2

 ENSURING WOMEN’S WELLBEING

 Work life balance

 Leave entitlements  Sharing caring responsibilities  Long hours culture

 Health/healthy lifestyles/sport  Health and safety particularly for

pregnant and breast feeding women

 Bullying and harassment  Violence against Women/ Trafficking

NWS - THEME 3

ENGAGING WOMEN AS EQUAL AND ACTIVE CITIZENS

Women in decision making

 State Boards  On boards of private companies  Politics

Women in the Arts and Media Gender Stereotypes Women in developing countries

EQUALITY FOR WOMEN MEASURE 2008 – 2013

 Positive action programme to support

women

 New phase building on past experience

when in 2000 – 2007 period there were 30,000 beneficiaries

 €62 million pledged in NDP, including

€15.75 million ESF under HCIOP

EQUALITY FOR WOMEN MEASURE 2008 – 2013

 New EWM likely to have four distinct

strands

• Returning to or preparing for work
• Training for advancement in employment
• Women and entrepreneurship
• Women and decision-making

CHALLENGES AHEAD

 Oversee implementation of National Women’s

Strategy

 Implement Equality for Women Measure as

funding permits

 Encourage greater gender mainstreaming  Work with implementers of National

Development Plan and NSRF and broader Civil Service to ensure gender is appropriately covered in these bodies of work and other national policy documents

 Continue to engage at EU and other multi-

lateral levels

And the answers to the quiz are… Thank you

• PAULINE MOREAU
• pmmoreau@justice.ie

THE QUIZ

 Thirty years after the equality

legislation was put in place, why are we still addressing Gender Equality in Ireland?

 Roughly half our citizens are

women, so what percentage of politicians in the Dáil/Seanad are women? 13 pe cent

THE QUIZ

 Women make up about 45 per cent of

• ur work force, so what percentage
• f major private enterprises

(Ireland’s Top 500) are headed by a woman? 5 per cent

 Women make up 67 per cent of all

general service grades in the Civil Service, so what is the percentage of women in the A/Sec to Sec Gen grades taken together? 12 per cent