Same old sexual division of labour!

Published: Thursday, February 05, 2004

Ms Mary Kelly Chairperson of the National Women's Council of Ireland attending the 'Tipping the Scales Making Work Life balance Happen' conference in Letterkenny today challenged the Government on its failure to implement statutory family friendly policies . 'The Government is failing to recognise that equality in employment is dependent on care work being valued' stated Ms Kelly.

'Women's participation in the paid labour market has not been matched by a corresponding increase in men's participation in unpaid caring work. Instead women are required to balance paid employment and unpaid care work' she continued. The Government has committed itself to an EU Target, agreed at the Lisbon European Council, that 60% of all women between the ages of sixteen and sixty-four should be in employment by 2010. 'The Government's policy target for women in the workforce cannot be achieved on the basis of a continuing assumption that women will respond to all of society's caring needs on an unpaid basis' stated Ms Kelly. 'This has reinforced serious inequalities between men and women in employment, most significantly, the gender pay gap is one of the highest in the EU at 15.5%. Also the Government have consistently opposed the introduction of paid parental leave, placing itself at the bottom of the European ladder for progressive family friendly policies' she continued.

Ms Kelly stated that 'The National Women's Council of Ireland is calling on the Government to introduce the following measures so as to achieve a greater work life balance and a greater sharing of caring work between men and women;

• paid parental leave benefit for parents of young children
• part-time parental leave benefit for parents of children up to 11yrs
• means tested parental allowance
• part-time unemployment benefit and assistance payment for parents with children aged 0-12 so that parents seeking part-time work can have their part-time unemployment recognised.