Historic Discrimination Repeated, says National Women’s Council

Published: Wednesday, March 03, 2010

The government today betrayed for the second time women who were forced to leave work up to the 1970's simply because they got married, according to the National Women's Council of Ireland. Minister Mary Hanafin today unequivocally stated that women who already lost their careers because of the marriage bar, will not receive their full entitlement to state pensions either. 'Older women who were shamefully discriminated against in the past have been dealt a second blow by the Government in The National Pensions Framework," said Orla O'Connor, head of policy at the Women's Council. "The framework states that 'pension reform will only relate to future pension issues'. Women who have campaigned tirelessly for their rights after spending their working lives in the home will be bitterly disappointed. The minister had a chance to right a historic wrong. She did not take it."

The NWCI welcomed the announcement that in future up to 10 years spent in care work in the home will be recognised for state pensions. "The Women's Council has been campaigning for this vital pension reform, and we are delighted that the government has finally recognized that women working in the home have made a real contribution to society," said Ms O'Connor.

Overall,she said, the Pensions Framework is a missed opportunity by the Government. "The minister should have introduced an equitable pension policy in the form of a universal pension for all, redistributing resources away from the private pension industry. While introducing a 33% tax relief for all is fairer, ultimately the State is still subsidizing the private pension industry, with no guarantees for women or men of the income they will have in their older years. "
The NWCI has repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that women are more likely to be in low paid vulnerable employment and therefore will have less income to pay into a private pension system. There is already an earnings gap between women and men of 13%.

While it is too early to tell, as the detail is still to be worked out, the concern regarding this pension policy is that women will continue to rely predominantly on the state pension which will leave many living just above the poverty line.