Having it All – Be careful what you wish for!
30th May 2019
JWT Folk has released a global study ‘Female Tribes’ which reveals that the women of Ireland are exhausted by the quest to “have it all”.
The Award winning advertising agency’s global study gives an unrivalled understanding of women in Ireland and throughout the world. It reveals that there is a general view that it has never been a better time to be a woman in Ireland, but the reality is that Irish women are still dealing with major issues. Some of the macro themes that have emerged from the report highlight the main challenges women face: low self-esteem, gender bias in the workplace and the importance of financial independence.
Challenges women face:
- What we are seeing emerge from the data is a nation of very stressed women. When asked what their biggest challenges in life are, managing stress was their biggest concern (41%) which is 7% higher than the global average. This has resulted in a feeling of exhaustion and de-motivation. 40% reported lacking energy/feeling tired, a massive 10% higher than the global average and lacking motivation 20%, also higher than the global average.
Gender Bias
- More than 1 in 4 women in Ireland say they experience gender bias or sexism at work on a regular basis and that increases to 41% for those aged 18 – 29. 1 in 3 women believe they are held back professionally because they are women and almost half of the women surveyed believe they get paid less than a man who is doing the same job.
Having children really impacts on attitudes towards achieving their goals and feeling confident. For example, 44% of Irish women who do not have children feel confident vs 36% of those who do have children. 65% of Irish women without children believe they will reach their goals one day, vs 57% of women who have children. 50% believe that women who don’t have children get more opportunities in the workplace than those who do.
Some other stats from the report highlight the following:
Financial Independence:
•62% believe that making money and being financially independent should remain a priority throughout a woman’s life.
•50% of Irish women claim to be the major breadwinner of the household
•77% worry about money but the good news is that they attack this head on with 74% claiming they budget and plan for the future and 83% manage their credit rating responsibly.
•34% admitted they spend more than they earn and a massive 65% agree that they will always have to watch their spending and they will never be financially ahead.
Confidence and body image
•33% of Irish women report struggling with confidence (compared with 21% globally)
•36% of Irish women believe being happy with their body image is one of their biggest challenges, 12% higher than their global peers.
•Younger women are more likely to have issues with confidence, citing their insecurities as preventing them from achieving their potential (47% 18 – 29, 29% 30 – 39, 20% 40 – 49)
Speaking about the launch of the new report, CEO of JWT Folk, Abi Moran says: “There is a general view that it has never been a better time to be a woman in Ireland, but the reality is that Irish women are still dealing with some major challenges. They are working tirelessly in their quest to have it all. The Female Tribes research shows that Irish women are working hard to achieve their goals and although it has never been a better time to be a woman, there is more to do. At JWT Folk we are passionate about impacting culture and by understanding the reality of the female narrative as brands, people and businesses we have the opportunity to impact female culture and accelerate the rate of change. We have a responsibility in the advertising industry to represent, understand and celebrate what it actually means to be a woman living in Ireland today.”
To view a summary of the report you can sign up here>>
Pictured (l-r) at the launch of Female Tribes is Senior Strategic Planner Eimear Fitzmaurice, Strategic Planning Director Julie Murray and CEO Abi Moran from leading advertising agency JWT Folk.
About Female Tribes
Female Tribes is a J.Walter Thompson Company proprietary insight study about women around the world. This living study, conducted globally, gives JWT Folk, the most insight, knowledge and research about the largest consumer category in the world: women.
