Cuts and casual work hitting women hardest, says women’s council

The forthcoming budget is an opportunity to “bring us closer to a . . . more equal society for men and women,” the National Women’s Council of Ireland has said.

In its pre-budget submission published yesterday, the council says the casualisation of work – the move to zero-hour contracts and more part-time work – has disproportionately affected women, as have cuts to public services, community projects and domestic violence services.

The council also stressed the importance of keeping vital services in public ownership, if quality in these is to be maintained – both for the workers in the services and those dependent on them.

A major priority must be income adequacy for all, the women’s council says. Two-thirds of people are surviving on less than the €32,800 per annum threshold between standard and higher rates of tax.

“In contrast to the rhetoric around a ‘squeezed middle’, austerity and recession have actually left us with a hard-pressed majority, and 50 per cent of households would be at risk of poverty without the crucial role played by social transfers.”

The submission says those on the lowest incomes have suffered the most under austerity.

“We must reverse these regressive trends. Tax reductions focused on the top third of incomes would be a step in the wrong direction and of little benefit to women, who are heavily concentrated amongst low earners. The Central Statistics Office report that 50 per cent of women earn €20,000 or less and women are only half as likely as men to earn over €50,000.”

The council describes cuts to community and public services as having had a “devastating” impact – particularly in the areas of health, transport and housing.