The Status of Women in Ireland
The status of women in Ireland has been increasing a positively great amount since the 1970s. Women and men are slowly getting closer and closer to equality. In 1973 women’s equality in Ireland significantly started to grow due to the creation of the Council for the Status of Women (CSW), which is now known as the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI). The European Union (EU) also played a big part in developing more rights and equal opportunities for women in Ireland as well. The main aspects and problems involving inequality between men and women in Ireland include employment, politics, earnings, careers, and poverty.
In 1973 when Ireland entered the European Union the government was forced to abandon the marriage bar, which meant that women who got married would have to leave their jobs. This played a large part in improving women’s equality because the EU promoted stronger equality legislation for women, which has continued to improve their access to the labor market. Over the past few decades the percentages of the employment rates for women in Ireland have increased. In 2008 their employment rate was at 60.5% and the men’s employment rate was at 75%, which is pretty decent. But, in 2011 the employment rate for women was at 56%. So, why was there this drop in the employment rate? The main reason is because women are still seen as the dominant role for taking care of their children. The women without children had an employment rate of 85.7%. At this day and age women should not only be the main ones taking care of their children. Men should also step up and take part in caring for their children so their wives/partners can work as well.
The fact that women are mainly the ones who have to deal with family issues, which sometimes causes them to be limited to just a part-time job is the reason that women’s earnings are lower than men’s. In 1969 women were earning 47% of men’s earnings and in 2006 they were earning 86% of men’s earnings. Although women’s pay has been increasing over the years there is still a generous pay gap between men and women. In 2010 women were earning 17.4% less than men for every hour worked. Due to the fact that women with families are not able to work as much it is hard for them to advance in their careers and have higher valued jobs. This leads to the issues of inequality between men and women’s careers.
Today there are still difficulties for women to advance in the workforce. In Ireland the average for women in managerial positions is at 30%. And, even though there are more female students than males in Ireland that are studying business, administration, and law, the proportion of women directors in top quoted companies is only at 3%. The fields that women are most dominant in are education and health services. It is great that women are given more employment opportunities as the years go on, but they should also be given the opportunity to advance in their careers. Not having valued careers is a reason that many women in Ireland are also at risk for poverty. Having less valued and less well-paid careers is the main reason there is poverty for particularly older women. In 2009 17.6% of women 65 and older were at risk of poverty, whereas men were at 14.4%.
Women are also treated poorly when it comes to politics as well. They are under-represented in decision-making processes within national and regional levels. The percentage of the representation of women within the government is currently at 15.66%. Ireland is known to have one of the worst records for women’s involvement in politics. But, thanks to the NWCI a law was recently passed stating that at the next general election political parties must run at least 30% women and 30% men or they will lose half of their State funding. This law is obviously a great advantage to women but it won’t solve all the inequality problems that still exist. There are still so many unbalanced decisions that are being made without women’s perspectives and ideas. The NWCI is still working very hard to improve women’s roles in politics, and they are currently attempting to reform Ireland’s political system.
The status of women in Ireland has always been an issue and will continue to be an issue until men and women have equal opportunities. With the hard work of the NWCI hopefully women will soon be able to have the same opportunities, earnings, careers, and political involvement that men have in Ireland.
Sources:
Central Statistics Office. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/otherreleases/2011/Women and Men in Ireland 2011.pdf(n.d.).
Retrieved from
website: http://www.nwci.ie/
(n.d.). Retrieved from
http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/ireland_in_the_eu/impact_of_eu_on_irish_women/index_en.htm
In 1973 when Ireland entered the European Union the government was forced to abandon the marriage bar, which meant that women who got married would have to leave their jobs. This played a large part in improving women’s equality because the EU promoted stronger equality legislation for women, which has continued to improve their access to the labor market. Over the past few decades the percentages of the employment rates for women in Ireland have increased. In 2008 their employment rate was at 60.5% and the men’s employment rate was at 75%, which is pretty decent. But, in 2011 the employment rate for women was at 56%. So, why was there this drop in the employment rate? The main reason is because women are still seen as the dominant role for taking care of their children. The women without children had an employment rate of 85.7%. At this day and age women should not only be the main ones taking care of their children. Men should also step up and take part in caring for their children so their wives/partners can work as well.
The fact that women are mainly the ones who have to deal with family issues, which sometimes causes them to be limited to just a part-time job is the reason that women’s earnings are lower than men’s. In 1969 women were earning 47% of men’s earnings and in 2006 they were earning 86% of men’s earnings. Although women’s pay has been increasing over the years there is still a generous pay gap between men and women. In 2010 women were earning 17.4% less than men for every hour worked. Due to the fact that women with families are not able to work as much it is hard for them to advance in their careers and have higher valued jobs. This leads to the issues of inequality between men and women’s careers.
Today there are still difficulties for women to advance in the workforce. In Ireland the average for women in managerial positions is at 30%. And, even though there are more female students than males in Ireland that are studying business, administration, and law, the proportion of women directors in top quoted companies is only at 3%. The fields that women are most dominant in are education and health services. It is great that women are given more employment opportunities as the years go on, but they should also be given the opportunity to advance in their careers. Not having valued careers is a reason that many women in Ireland are also at risk for poverty. Having less valued and less well-paid careers is the main reason there is poverty for particularly older women. In 2009 17.6% of women 65 and older were at risk of poverty, whereas men were at 14.4%.
Women are also treated poorly when it comes to politics as well. They are under-represented in decision-making processes within national and regional levels. The percentage of the representation of women within the government is currently at 15.66%. Ireland is known to have one of the worst records for women’s involvement in politics. But, thanks to the NWCI a law was recently passed stating that at the next general election political parties must run at least 30% women and 30% men or they will lose half of their State funding. This law is obviously a great advantage to women but it won’t solve all the inequality problems that still exist. There are still so many unbalanced decisions that are being made without women’s perspectives and ideas. The NWCI is still working very hard to improve women’s roles in politics, and they are currently attempting to reform Ireland’s political system.
The status of women in Ireland has always been an issue and will continue to be an issue until men and women have equal opportunities. With the hard work of the NWCI hopefully women will soon be able to have the same opportunities, earnings, careers, and political involvement that men have in Ireland.
Sources:
Central Statistics Office. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/otherreleases/2011/Women and Men in Ireland 2011.pdf(n.d.).
Retrieved from
website: http://www.nwci.ie/
(n.d.). Retrieved from
http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/ireland_in_the_eu/impact_of_eu_on_irish_women/index_en.htm
The Government System of Ireland
The government system of Ireland is pretty simple and easy to understand. It is a parliamentary democracy that was developed in 1937 by the Constitution of Ireland. The Constitution is what regulates Ireland’s government system, and it is the executive authority in the government. The government also always has to act in accordance with what the Constitution says.
The President of Ireland is not the main authority in the government, but he is the head of state. All of the Presidents powers and authorities are described in the Constitution of Ireland. President’s in Ireland are elected into office for 7 years and cannot serve more than two terms. To be elected into office the President must be over 35 years old and also a citizen of Ireland. After elected President they must live in or near Dublin St. Patrick’s Hall. The current President of Ireland is Michael D. Higgins, who was elected in 2011.
Another element of Ireland’s government is the Taoiseach, who is the head of the Irish government. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President, and his job is to guide other members of the government when they are faced with challenges that involve successful work within the government. The Taoiseach is also responsible for the reform of law, official statistics, and the administration of public services. The current Taoiseach of Ireland is Enda Kenny, who was elected in 2011.
The Oireachtas is the Parliament in the Irish government. There are two houses in Ireland’s Parliament. The Dail Eireann is known as the House of Representatives, which consists of 166 members who are elected by using proportional representation with a single transferrable vote. The Seanad Eireann is known as the Senate, which consists of 60 members. The Taoiseach elects 11 of the members, and the rest are elected from vocational panels and national universities. The Seanad can also revise or initiate legislation, but the Dail has to approve of their proposed amendments and legislations.
Ireland also has 114 local authorities within their government. These authorities provide a variety services such as housing, transportation, water supply, waste management, education, health, and welfare.
Source:
(n.d.). Retrieved from
http://eu2013.ie/ireland-and-the-presidency/about-ireland/irishpoliticsandgovernment/irishpoliticalsystem/
The President of Ireland is not the main authority in the government, but he is the head of state. All of the Presidents powers and authorities are described in the Constitution of Ireland. President’s in Ireland are elected into office for 7 years and cannot serve more than two terms. To be elected into office the President must be over 35 years old and also a citizen of Ireland. After elected President they must live in or near Dublin St. Patrick’s Hall. The current President of Ireland is Michael D. Higgins, who was elected in 2011.
Another element of Ireland’s government is the Taoiseach, who is the head of the Irish government. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President, and his job is to guide other members of the government when they are faced with challenges that involve successful work within the government. The Taoiseach is also responsible for the reform of law, official statistics, and the administration of public services. The current Taoiseach of Ireland is Enda Kenny, who was elected in 2011.
The Oireachtas is the Parliament in the Irish government. There are two houses in Ireland’s Parliament. The Dail Eireann is known as the House of Representatives, which consists of 166 members who are elected by using proportional representation with a single transferrable vote. The Seanad Eireann is known as the Senate, which consists of 60 members. The Taoiseach elects 11 of the members, and the rest are elected from vocational panels and national universities. The Seanad can also revise or initiate legislation, but the Dail has to approve of their proposed amendments and legislations.
Ireland also has 114 local authorities within their government. These authorities provide a variety services such as housing, transportation, water supply, waste management, education, health, and welfare.
Source:
(n.d.). Retrieved from
http://eu2013.ie/ireland-and-the-presidency/about-ireland/irishpoliticsandgovernment/irishpoliticalsystem/
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Oil Production and Consumption
Oil Production: 0.73 Thousand Barrels Per Day
Oil Consumption: 143.16 Thousand Barrels Per Day
The information I discovered about Ireland's oil production and consumption is that Ireland produces a very little amount of oil compared to some other countries in the world like Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United States who produce huge amounts of oil. I also found that Ireland consumes a decent amount of oil each day. So, some conclusions I can draw from the information I found is that Ireland clearly has to get a lot of their oil imported from other countries since they barely produce any oil at all. I would assume that they probably get the majority of their oil from large countries that produce large amounts of oil every day. This information helps me develop a sense of place for Ireland because it helps me understand that people in Ireland do use resources like oil for driving and transportation. But, since they do not consume a huge amount of oil everyday like the United States does, I would assume that they use bicycles or walking as a form of transportation a lot instead of driving everywhere like people in the U.S. do.
Oil Consumption: 143.16 Thousand Barrels Per Day
The information I discovered about Ireland's oil production and consumption is that Ireland produces a very little amount of oil compared to some other countries in the world like Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United States who produce huge amounts of oil. I also found that Ireland consumes a decent amount of oil each day. So, some conclusions I can draw from the information I found is that Ireland clearly has to get a lot of their oil imported from other countries since they barely produce any oil at all. I would assume that they probably get the majority of their oil from large countries that produce large amounts of oil every day. This information helps me develop a sense of place for Ireland because it helps me understand that people in Ireland do use resources like oil for driving and transportation. But, since they do not consume a huge amount of oil everyday like the United States does, I would assume that they use bicycles or walking as a form of transportation a lot instead of driving everywhere like people in the U.S. do.
Ireland's Economic System
Ireland is considered to have a mixed economy. A mixed economy is an economic system that includes a mixture of capitalism and socialism, so it is a system that allows for the simultaneous operation of publicly and privately owned enterprises. In Ireland the constitution says that "the state shall favor private initiative in industry and commerce, but the state may provide essential services and promote development projects in the absence of private initiatives" (n.d.). So, in Ireland the State sponsors and operates companies like county rail's and road transportation, some TV and radio stations, electricity generation and distribution systems, it's peat industry, air transport, and health insurance.
The GDP per capita in Ireland is $42,600. And, three economic indicators I analyzed include Ireland's unemployment rate, the industrial production growth rate, and the inflation rate. The unemployment rate in Ireland is at 14.7%. So, the unemployment rate is pretty high in Ireland. In comparison to other countries Ireland is ranked 141 out of 202 countries. Ireland's industrial production growth rate is at -0.1%, which is obviously pretty low. The industrial production growth rate refers to the annual percentage increase in industrial production such as manufacturing, mining, and construction. In comparison to other countries Ireland is ranked 136 out of 172 countries. Ireland's inflation rate, which is the annual percentage change in consumer prices compared with the previous year's consumer prices is at 1.7%. The previous year it was at 2.6%. So, clearly as time has gone on the inflation rate has decreased, and in comparison with other countries Ireland is ranked 31 out of 224 countries.
Sources:
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/293754/Ireland/23017/Economy
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ei.html
The GDP per capita in Ireland is $42,600. And, three economic indicators I analyzed include Ireland's unemployment rate, the industrial production growth rate, and the inflation rate. The unemployment rate in Ireland is at 14.7%. So, the unemployment rate is pretty high in Ireland. In comparison to other countries Ireland is ranked 141 out of 202 countries. Ireland's industrial production growth rate is at -0.1%, which is obviously pretty low. The industrial production growth rate refers to the annual percentage increase in industrial production such as manufacturing, mining, and construction. In comparison to other countries Ireland is ranked 136 out of 172 countries. Ireland's inflation rate, which is the annual percentage change in consumer prices compared with the previous year's consumer prices is at 1.7%. The previous year it was at 2.6%. So, clearly as time has gone on the inflation rate has decreased, and in comparison with other countries Ireland is ranked 31 out of 224 countries.
Sources:
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/293754/Ireland/23017/Economy
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ei.html