Gender inequality alive and kicking in 2006

NICVA

£2.20

As International Women's Day approaches (8 March), it is timely to examine the state of women in Northern Ireland today. LYNN CARVILL, Women's Support Network, wonders if things have changed for the better and what battles still need to be fought.

There is little doubt that women are performing better in economic terms. Recent research has shown that since the 1970s there has been a significant increase in female employment rates in Northern Ireland; women now comprise 45% of those currently in employment. However, much of the growth in female participation has been in part time employment. In 2004 less than one in ten men worked part time compared with nearly four out of ten women. Over three decades of Equal Pay legislation, women have consistently earned less than men. While the pay gap in Northern Ireland has closed over recent years, in 2003, excluding part-time workers, female weekly wages were 84% of male wages. There is a way to go to truly realise equality in work and pay.

The increase in female participation in paid work has thrown up a host of other issues that remain unresolved. Juggling what in reality are two full time jobs (paid employment and unpaid domestic employment) has created a further conundrum for many women. The problem is rooted in both the domestic and public spheres. As women have become economically active outside of the home, they have found that there has been no corresponding reduction in the work required in the domestic sphere.

In 2006 women are still viewed as the primary carers of dependents and relatives. This prevailing view compounds the problem and requires many women to constantly juggle in order to manage their responsibilities. Simultaneously, the established culture of work in the public sphere generally does not acknowledge the competing demands that employees have domestically.

Recent legislation has attempted to ease this problem with government legislating for paternity leave. However, at statutory rates (around £106 per week), it would be unsurprising if few men take their paternity leave; for many women and men, the reality is that it is not economically viable.

A further area where inequality is obvious is that of political decisionmaking. Although women make up 51% of the population, they are virtually invisible in public life in Northern Ireland. Increasing the numbers of women in public life will lead to a reduction in structural inequalities that women face in our society. Margaret Ward, director of the Women's Resource and Development Agency comments: "Until women are represented in equal terms on all the key institutions, their interests will not be reflected in decision-making."

The roll out of the Review of Public Administration is also a cause for concern. May de Silva, director of Women into Politics, believes: "There is a danger of losing more female politicians with the introduction of the Review of Public Administration". This needs to be carefully monitored as the RPA is rolled out across Northern Ireland.

The past year has been a time of crisis and change in the women's sector in Northern Ireland. Following the imminent threat of closure of many of the supports and services provided by the sector, women marched to the Department for Social Development in March 2005 to protest at the lack of recognition and resources given to their work.

Subsequently, a government review proposed that an infrastructure for the women's sector be established and funded along with key service providers based in Belfast, rural areas and the North West. While this is welcome, many women's organisations are outside the remit of the report and still face a resources crisis. Key areas such as education and childcare provision are also still facing crisis and how these vital services are resourced still needs to be resolved.

In conclusion, while the lives of women in Northern Ireland have improved in certain areas, there remains a lot of room for progress. It is safe to say that gender inequality is still very much alive in Northern Ireland in 2006. Reducing it will involve changing prevailing attitudes within society. The Gender Equality Unit in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister is currently producing a gender equality strategy for Northern Ireland. Let's hope that this overarching strategy delivers on the eradication of gender discrimination for the people of Northern Ireland, and particularly women.

1 This research is taken from Labour Market Dynamics Phase One: A Descriptive Analysis of the Northern Ireland Labour Market, OFMDFM, Nov 2005 and Women in Northern Ireland, DETI, July 2005.

Back to March SCOPE