A business woman addressing a group of colleagues sitting around a table.
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CSO report: Gender equality lacking in Irish management

26 Nov 2020

A CSO report looking at how Ireland is progressing towards gender equality goals showed there is nearly double the number of men to women in managerial roles.

According to new figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) this week, gender inequality is still a problem in workplace leadership across Ireland. Based on labour force data from the second quarter of 2020, it said that there was nearly double the number of men compared to women in managerial roles.

The data was published as part of the CSO’s fifth report on how Ireland is progressing towards meeting its 2030 targets under the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report focused on the gender equality goals, looking at discrimination, equality and empowerment.

The CSO said that women make up nearly half of the workforce (45.7pc in the second quarter of this year). However, just 34.4pc of managers were women compared with the 65.6pc that were men.

The proportion of managers, directors and senior officials who are women has risen slightly in recent years, up from 32.5pc in 2014.

Looking at regional data from 2017, Dublin had highest percentage of women working in this category, at 37.9pc. Of the women working as managers and directors in that year, 45.7pc of those were between 25 and 34 years of age.

Mind the gap

Women’s business group Network Ireland highlighted the stark contrast between the report’s figures and the significant achievements women are making across different sectors. The organisation’s president, Louisa Meehan, said: “This is 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 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.”

Meehan added that as companies look ahead to 2021, supporting women should be a priority. “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 CSO, Ordnance Survey Ireland and Esri are continuing to monitor Ireland’s SDG progress. There are 17 goals in total, spanning quality education, climate action, clean energy, wellbeing, eliminating hunger and more.

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has just launched a sustainability network and roadmap for green and inclusive initiatives in line with the SDGs.

Lisa Ardill
By Lisa Ardill

Lisa Ardill joined Silicon Republic as senior careers reporter in July 2019. She has a BA in neuroscience and a master’s degree in science communication. She is also a semi-published poet and a big fan of doggos. Lisa briefly served as Careers Editor at Silicon Republic before leaving the company in June 2021.

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