Gillian Harford
Country Executive, 30% Club Ireland
With the expansion of gender pay gap reporting to include more organisations in Ireland, there is an increased opportunity to drive gender balance through focused, collaborative action.
Later this year, a further group of employers in Ireland will be publishing their Gender Pay Gap (GPG) in compliance with the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021, as the employee cut-off widens to include organisations with 150 employees or more. The GPG is the difference in the average hourly wage of men and women across a workforce.
Under-representation of women
Three years into GPG reporting, we know the issue is not about pay but about under-representation of women in higher-paid roles of influence and more highly paid sectors. Under-representation is a more complex challenge to address, and senior roles of influence will have the potential to be particularly vulnerable to gender pay gaps until we can address traditional barriers within systems and cultures that stifle equity in progress.
The Central Statistics Office shows that
20% of organisations in Ireland have
no female executives on senior teams.
Collaboration drives faster pace of change
At the 30% Club, we believe that driving change requires more than just aspirational optimism. It needs a cohesive plan focusing on driving real change in systems, processes, measurement and culture, particularly where, despite progress, the Central Statistics Office shows that 20% of organisations in Ireland have no female executives on senior teams. There is also the assumption that larger organisations, with talent and diversity resources, can make more progress.
Including smaller organisations in reporting structures can challenge the assumption that larger organisations are more progressive. With smaller populations, flatter structures and more agility, we may see a greater range of business-led gender balance strategies across sectors dominated by small and medium enterprises.
Boosting talent and equality
Collaborative forums, like the 30% Club, facilitate idea-sharing across industries, enhancing talent movement and standards for modern employment practices to attract, retain and advance talent.
Our focus is on short and long-term business ambitions that improve and modernise workplace practices so that barriers are removed and opportunities to succeed apply equally to men and women. With more organisations reporting and acting on this agenda, business outcomes will strengthen, leading to economic and societal growth.
For more information, visit: 30percentclub.org/chapters/ireland/
