Today women in Ireland account for less than 20% of senior management positions. If we look at pay equality, figures are equally alarming. According to figures reported by the ESRI average hourly earnings for women are 15% lower than for men. There is no doubt that the glass ceiling still exists in Ireland, but what are the main obstacles for women in the workplace?
The Monster Meter asked, ìWhat do you think is the biggest obstacle for women in pursuing a successful career?î revealing:
54% - Pregnancy and children
11% - Difficulty in being accepted as equals by men
15% - Nothing, women have the same opportunities as men
10% - A salary gap compared to men
10% - A more considerate attitude displayed in the work environment
The results show that 54% of respondents see pregnancy and children as the main factor contributing to the glass ceiling. Professional women still have problems juggling their responsibilities at home and managing their careers. Itís the biggest obstacle in preventing women pursuing the higher level roles today.
The long hours and inflexible schedules associated with these roles are also contributing factors. With the take up of flexible and remote working in Ireland however, this could soon change. Results from a recent Monster Meter show that 43% of Irish would work remotely given the option and 22% already do so successfully.
11% of Irish say that a ìmacho cultureî at work is the main obstacle for women in the workplace. 15% of Irish declare women have the same opportunities as men and
10% say the main obstacles are pay and general attitudes.
ìWe promote both equality and diversity in Monster.ie, at present 70% of monster staff in Monster.ie are female. A number of our more senior employees work on a part-time basis or have flexitime working arrangements. To both attract and hold on to the best people, organisations today, need to respond to the needs of modern day women and men in the workplace.î comments Fiona Sexton, Marketing Manager for Monster.ie.
Data published from the 2002 Census of Population shows that across Ireland, women still make up just
15% of general managers in large companies,
20% of those in scientific and technical occupations,
3% of senior Garda and Prison Officers
Less than 1% of Army Officers
Despite the fact that women make up over 42% of the Irish labour force, these figures show that there is still a long way to go and perceptions need changing.
These are the results of the current Monster Meter are based on votes cast by Monster.ie visitors. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. The Monster Meter, a product of Monster, the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. is a series of online polls that gauge usersí opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the workplace. Anyone interested in voting in Monsterís current online poll may do so by logging onto www.monster.ie These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinions of only those Internet users who have chosen to participate.
Irish believe the glass ceiling still exists
According to the Monster Meter pregnancy and children are the biggest obstacles for women in the workplace
