From this week, Irish women are effectively working for free until the end of the year, according to Dublin-based charity, Dress for Success Dublin. (DfSD)
The charity, founded by Sonya Lennon, launched its fourth annual #WorkEqual campaign yesterday, with the aim of highlighting issues around gender equality in the workplace.
Ms Lennon explained: “We have a gender pay gap in Ireland of 13.9%. If you shave 13.9% off the end of the year, you land on today’s date.”
She added: "Lack of affordable childcare, gender stereotyping, inflexible work options and poor take-up of parental leave are all feeding into the persistent inequalities between women and men.
According to the European Institute for Gender Equality 2019 Index, Ireland scores 71.3 out of 100 points, placing it above the EU average. The Index shows that women's mean monthly earnings are €2,808 in Ireland, compared to €3,423 for men. The data also reveals that a woman's working life in Ireland lasts for 33.1 years - on average - compared to 40.1 for men.
About the annual Index findings, Lennon said the data "clearly shows we still have work to do to achieve equality in Ireland."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
