Maternity remains the biggest obstacle to equality in the workplace

The Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI Women At Work survey is a timely reminder of the strides that have been made in ensuring equality of access to employment for women in Ireland. On this entry measure, the genders appear to be on an equal footing.

Key to the success achieved in creating equality of access has been education. Women are now staying longer in education and emerging better qualified than their male counterparts.

Some evidence of an educational advantage is also found in the Women At Work survey which revealed education to be a greater barrier to workplace progress for men (30%) than for women (26%).

Higher rates of employment amongst women across all age categories is further proof that educational attainment is bringing employment advantages for women and that the playing pitch for entry into the workforce has been levelled (although the collapse in the construction sector can make comparisons difficult).

With the equality of access box largely ticked, attention naturally shifts to equality of opportunity for women to progress within the workplace. On this point the survey findings are not encouraging. Just 46% of working women feel the rate of progress is the same for both genders, with the exact same percentage believing men progress faster than women.

Why there is a perceived difference between the genders was explored by firstly asking spontaneously why one gender progresses faster than the other, and secondly by prompting respondents with a list of possible reasons why their own progress may have been hampered. Whether spontaneous or prompted, the answer was the same - having a family is more disruptive for and demanding of women. Gender bias was also a factor but it was placed further down the list.

Interestingly, the view that having a family is a barrier to progress for some women is as firmly held amongst public sector workers as it is amongst those working in the commercial sector. This is despite the fact that the public sector is a more parent-friendly environment than the private sector, with more flexible work practices such as career breaks and term time available. Flexible work practices by themselves are, it seems, not enough to balance the demands of work and family.

That said, it should be acknowledged that the public sector has created a more equal working environment for men and women. In addition to the availability of more family-friendly working arrangements, more women work in the public sector than work in the private sector. Also, more women are managers in the public sector. It seems a lot has changed since the Civil Service marriage ban was lifted in 1973.

It should probably come as no surprise that having a family is such a barrier to progress, except that we could be forgiven for thinking it was less of an issue with the explosion in childcare provision over the past two decades. The reality, however, is that childcare is not universally affordable or appropriate.

And the funding dilemma for families is likely to intensify, with incomes under pressure, childcare costs unlikely to reduce in the face of calls for tighter regulation, and means-tested child benefit being considered.

Even for families with the means to initially cover the cost of childcare, at what stage does it become uneconomical? After the second child? After the third child? Or at what stage does the juggling become unmanageable or the compromises unacceptable? Patchwork solutions to childminding, preschool, afterschool and during the school holidays can be exhausting and frustrating.

Never mind the equality implications, adequately funded and organised childcare is needed if we are not to incentivise working women to have fewer children. As William Reville highlighted in his article last week, although Ireland’s fertility rate is high relative to other European countries, we have already fallen below the rate necessary to maintain our population.

If we are serious about equality of opportunity, the logistical and emotional burden of organising care for children’s needs to be lessened. The public supports initiatives that would lighten the load, such as the State providing free childcare for all preschool children (69% support) and making childcare fees tax deductible (77% support). There is reluctance amongst the general public and amongst parents specifically to use child benefit to fund State childcare, although it may just be that a bird in the hand of a parent is worth two in the bush.

The Women At Work survey confirms maternity as the main challenge to equality of opportunity. Meeting the challenge requires a rethink of our approach to childcare provision accompanied by significant investment, which does not seem at all likely in the current economic climate.

Damian Loscher is managing director of Ipsos MRBI