Olwen Dawe21st July 2016

Why Gender Equality in Business & Leadership

Matters

“In 1973 Ireland joined the European Union (EU) as a laggard, with Irish GDP 64.2% of EU average GDP (CSO, 2004). With a relatively underdeveloped, patriarchal and familial social policy, Ireland was substantially behind mainstream European developments in social policy. “

Mary P. Murphy, Dept. of Sociology, NUI Maynooth

• Female employment rate of 27%

• Female civil and other public servants had to resign their position on marriage

• Gender pay gap of 53%

Forty Years of EU Influencing Social Policy in Ireland – a Glass Half Full?, 27th July 2014

State of the Nation?

• EU: 13 directives aimed at “equality between men and women” (1975-present)

• Narrowing (significantly) of the gender pay-gap – c. 14% currently

• Increase in women’s economic engagement – c. 48% (N.B. harmonised figure)

• Increase in political representation – 22% of all 2016 deputies (quotas introduced in 2016)

• Greater awareness and activity centred on the increasing the number of women on boards, in broadcasting, in senior educational posts and leadership – generally

• State Boards 34% (quotas in place); Private Boards < 10%; Large MNCs < 5%.

• Broadcasting (expert voices and broadcasters, harmonised across stations) – 28%.

What’s Changed?

• We’re 50% of the population!

• Better Business = Fairer Society: More representative, fairer outcomes and representative decisions – risks - non-diverse engineering teams (Washington Uni.);

• Diverse businesses are better (and more profitable) businesses (Lehman Sisters?), more thoughtful (transformational) leadership, engaged and engaging / consultative – less reactive.

Why Does Gender Equality Matter?

• Cultural Audits – change comes ‘dropping slow’! Everyone has a role in culture change, at every level. How are WE doing?

• Policies and Practices (blunt instruments and soft measures) – quotas, effective pipelining (talent-planning) within businesses, small and big, effective childcare and leave policies (equalising the parental expectation), “blind” CVs (US and UK companies)…

Making Change Happen… How?

Culture Change – Privilege & Unconscious Bias

Visibility & Role Models

Collective Awareness & Action

Waking the Feminists

Waking the Feminists

Geena Davis Institute

Women on Walls

Why Gender Equality in Business &

Leadership Matters

Any Questions?Olwen Dawe21st July 2016