NGO-Led WorkEqual Campaign 2020 Launches
26th October 2020
Gender equality experts based in Iceland, the US and the UK will join a host of Irish speakers on the line-up for this year’s WorkEqual campaign, sharing their insights and ideas on how to progress workplace gender equality. Permanent TSB and SOLAS are headline sponsors of the campaign, with both organisations having committed to a three-year partnership with WorkEqual.
The WorkEqual campaign aims to raise awareness of workplace gender inequalities and related issues – and develop solutions to address these.
Launching the 2020 programme, campaign founder Sonya Lennon said: “We are delighted to have international activists, politicians, business leaders and NGO representatives on the line-up for WorkEqual 2020. Last year, we held the inaugural WorkEqual conference, which involved a number of international speakers. This year, as a physical conference is not feasible, we’re running a series of online panel discussions and using the opportunity presented by moving online to broaden the global reach of the campaign.
“Gender inequality is not a challenge for Ireland alone. It’s an issue that countries worldwide are grappling with. We have lots to learn from countries that have shown leadership and innovation in promoting gender equality in the workplace. And, in turn, other countries can learn from some of the positive initiatives underway here in Ireland. International collaboration – and learning from what has and hasn’t worked in other jurisdictions – will be a big focus of this year’s campaign.”
The Solutions Series
The panel discussions taking place in November are being billed as ‘The Solutions Series: a whole-of-society approach to progressing gender equality’. All discussions will be open to anyone interested in gender equality to attend online, free of charge. Five discussions will take place in total:
•Thursday, 5th November: ‘How Can We Banish Gender Stereotypes from Society?’
•Monday, 9th November (the date designated by the WorkEqual Campaign as Equal Pay Day, the date on which women in Ireland effectively stop earning, relative to men, because of the gender pay gap): ‘Why Understanding the Pay Gap is Key to Gender Equality at Work’
•Thursday, 12th November: ‘What Role has Flexible Working in Achieving Gender Equality?’
•Thursday, 19th November: ‘How the Value Placed on Caring Contributes to Gender Equality at Work’.
•Thursday, 26th November: ‘How Can We Address Women’s Under-Representation in Positions of Leadership – at Work and in Wider Society?’
All events will run from 1pm to 2pm, and advance registration is required through the WorkEqual website where you will also find a list of confirmed speakers for this Series.
In addition to ‘The Solutions Series’, an Irish / Icelandic WorkEqual partnership will be launched during November – in collaboration with the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association.
The WorkEqual campaign is an initiative of the Dress for Success Dublin (DfSD) charity. DfSD is an affiliate of an international organisation, Dress for Success Worldwide, which was brought to Dublin in 2011 by broadcaster, designer and businesswoman Sonya Lennon. The mission of DfSD is to provide innovative, targeted services and advocacy to help people (re)entering the workplace to reach sustained economic independence. Recognising that many women face discrimination and other obstacles to progression in their careers, DfSD established the WorkEqual campaign in 2016.
