KELLY’S EYE: Gerry Kelly gives it to you straightMuch more to do to put women on equal footing
A Louth voice
Enna and Hannah Farrell at the Connect centre in Moneymore for International Women's Day.
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WOMEN round the world and here in Ireland are marking the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day this week. This year's theme; 'equal rights, opportunities and progress for all' is an aspiration that's a long way from being achieved in many places but one that's more or less taken as read here at home.
However, despite the fact that an enormous amount of progress has been made by and for women in Ireland the situation is far from ideal for many.
While acknowledging that they've come a long way on a range of issues that impact on their lives a group of local women who joined me on the Late Lunch outlined the difficulties and obstacles they still must confront in the year 2010.
They were adamant that women had to work twice as hard as men in the workplace if they harboured hopes of career progression.
What's more they believed the way a woman is perceived or regarded in the workplace by management changes as soon as she becomes a mother.
The arrival of a baby instead of being a positive in their lives also very often turned out to be a challenge in terms of balancing life, home and work.
That household chores aren't shared equally remains a bugbear and some women still suffer in silence at the hands of violent male partners gave great cause for concern.
Throw into the mix the fact that almost one in four women are still paid less than their male counterparts to do the same job.
The lack of proportionate representation of females in managerial positions and political circles its fair to say in the words of a political party's election slogan; 'a lot done, much more to do'.
