Women outnumbered almost 2:1 in Irish managerial roles
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There were nearly double the number of men in managerial roles (66%) as women (34%) in the Irish workforce in the second quarter of 2020, despite the fact women make up almost half of the workforce.
That’s according to a new report from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), ‘Ireland's UN SDGs 2019 - Report on Indicators for Goal 5 Gender Equality,’ the fifth in a series of CSO publications monitoring how Ireland is progressing towards meeting its targets under the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The report also found that men continue to significantly outnumber women as the holders of family farms. In 2016, some 12% of farms were in female ownership, compared to 11% in 2002.
President of Network Ireland Louisa Meehan said the report was the latest in a series of recent reports showing the gap that persists between women and men’s career prospects in Ireland.
“At a time when we’re hearing about the pioneering talents of an Irish-born woman working on a coronavirus vaccine, and an Irish university is appointing a woman as its president, it’s high time businesses across the board began realising the full potential of the other half of the workforce," she said.
“As we begin to look ahead to what form business will take in 2021, businesses and employers must give women the support, training and experience they need to help them play their vital role in the next steps."
The report also examined women’s representation in politics and found that they held just under a quarter (24%) of seats in local elections in 2019.
Representation by women at local government level in 2019 was highest in the Dublin region, with 38% of seats there held by women, compared with the south-east region, which had the lowest representation at 13%.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley said today’s report points to “a sizeable" gender imbalance in many facets of Irish life, not least in politics.
“In recent years, we have seen considerable improvements across the board, but have not yet fully reached the 2019 target of a 30% proportion of women candidates," she said.
“This is not just a number to be achieved," she said, "it’s a standard to reach and uphold, to properly reflect the needs of our society."
“I have recently participated in an awareness campaign with Cork County Council, due to launch shortly, that highlights the importance of diversity in local government. There are so many opportunities for women, and minorities of all backgrounds, to get involved in political life, and as a county, we have a wealth of education, ideas, and energy that needs to be harnessed for the betterment of all our communities,” she finished.