Cracking
the glass ceiling
From BELFAST TELEGRAPH January 25th, 2000
However, pressure is growing for faster and more fundamental change. In
the Republic, new legislation came into force last year outlawing direct
and indirect discrimination on seven grounds, including gender, marital
status, family status and sexual orientation. An Equal Status Bill becomes
law this year and will outlaw discrimination in the provision of services.
A new Equality Authority has been allocated a budget of around £3m to monitor
and investigate discrimination. An economic and employment boom has created
greater opportunities for those who want to work full-time or develop a
career. Legislation has been updated and extended in Northern Ireland too
and equality and inclusion are touchstones of the Good Friday Agreement.
It established a Human Rights Commission and places a legal duty upon public
bodies to promote equality of opportunity. This will be monitored by a new
Equality Commission which brings together four organisations responsible
for fighting religious and political discrimination, racial discrimination,
sex discrimination and discrimination against the disabled.
It will report to an equality unit in the office of the First Minister.
The economic context is also changing here as areas traditionally associated
with male employment, including the security forces and manufacturing, shrink
and jobs increase in the service sector.
The 'knowledge-based' economy will favour the best educational achievers.
In theory the economic and political climate on both sides of the border
has never been so favourable and offers society its greatest opportunity
to achieve a level playing field for women and men both in public affairs,
the workplace and the home. Colin Coulter, a sociology lecturer at the National
University of Ireland in Maynooth, is the author of the latest study of
society here.
In Contemporary Northern Ireland Society he claims: "The position of women within contemporary Northern Irish society remains an essentially subaltern one and the propensity to marginalise or exclude women represents one of the fundamental shortcomings of most coverage of affairs in the six counties."
"The cause of progress demands the promotion of a political culture thatwill take seriously the particular interests and inclinations of women." |
