Dr. Catherine Day, former Secretary General of the European Commission chairs Ireland's Citizens' Assembly to advance gender equality. The Assembly has been asked to bring forward proposals that:
* challenge the remaining barriers and social norms and attitudes that facilitate gender discrimination towards girls and boys, women and men;
* identify and dismantle economic and salary norms that result in gender inequalities, and reassess the economic value placed on work traditionally held by women;
* seek to ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in the workplace, politics and public life;
* recognise the importance of early years parental care and seek to facilitate greater work-life balance;
* examine the social responsibility of care and women and men's co-responsibility for care, especially within the family; and
* scrutinise the structural pay inequalities that result in women being disproportionately represented in low pay sectors.
The Assembly will report to the Houses of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) which, on receipt of the Report, will refer it for consideration to a relevant Committee of both Houses.
In January 2020, the Citizen's Assembly on Gender Equality held its inaugural meeting. This was followed by a meeting on gender stereotypes and the family in February.
A public consultation process was initiated to seek views/recommendations on the following themes;
* Gender norms and stereotypes
* Work: Occupational segregation by gender, gender discrimination and the gender pay gap
* Care, paid and unpaid, as a social and family responsibility
* Women's access to, and representation in, public life and decision making
* Where does gender inequality impact most?
Responses to the public consultation will be taken into consideration in the development of the agenda for Assembly weekends and as part of the Citizens' deliberations.
An online seminar for citizens was held on Saturday 4th July 2020 to provide them with an opportunity to reconnect with each other, and to give initial consideration to the public submissions and how Covid 19 has impacted on their mandate.
The Assembly met virtually on the 17th October 2020. This meeting focussed on the following topic from the Oireachtas resolution to 'seek to ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in the workplace, politics and public life.' The meeting included various speakers discussing topics including;
* Gender Equality, leadership & politics
* Gender Balance in Elected Office in Europe
* Women in Media
And included panel discussions on;
* Leadership case studies and suggested recommendations
* Possible policy changes