National Women's Strategy Can Help End 'Persistent Inequality'
18 Apr 2007
Congress today (April 18) welcomed the publication of the National Women's Strategy as a means to end "the persistent inequality that blights the lives of so many working women."
According to Sallyanne Kinahan, Congress Assistant General Secretary, it was significant that the Strategy was being published in 2007 - the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All.
"Despite over 30 years of equality legislation, and attempts at gender mainstreaming and targeted efforts such as the Equality for Women Measure, many inequalities persist to this day," Ms Kinahan said.
"In the last 15 years, we have seen a doubling in the number of women at work, yet women remain over-represented in low-paid, part-time and atypical employment.
"That has serious implications for their skills' development into the future, particularly as we seek to move towards a high-skill economy. Will women be left behind again?"
Ms Kinahan also noted that despite the progress that has been made, "the
Gender Pay Gap is still with us, with women typically earning 86 percent of men's average hourly earnings. This increases by up to two percent, when pensions and other benefits are included."
She also pointed out that poor public service provision impacts most heavily on women, particularly with regard to caring responsibilities.
"Typically, it is women that are expected to close the gap in terms of what is delivered by public services and the needs of working families.
"Ireland has one of the lowest levels of publicly funded childcare in the EU and the most expensive private childcare. We are also one of the few EU members that do not provide paid parental leave, making it a privilege and not the right that it should be.
"Equally, the lack of a legal right to flexible working impacts most heavily on working women. Hopefully the National Women's Strategy will help to eradicate the persistent inequality that continues to blight the lives of so many working women today," Ms Kinahan concluded.
Ends