Publications

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Kerry County Development Board

The National Women’s Council of Ireland launched their ‘Irish Politics - Jobs for the Boys’ research project in 2002, which looked at people in positions of decision-making in Ireland. The research demonstrated that systematically, both geographically, across sectors, in elected and selected posts, at all levels from local to National and European, Irish Women are deeply disadvantaged politically.

On examining the situation in Kerry, the findings endorse the research undertaken by the National Women’s Council of Ireland in that, whether elected or appointed, the overwhelming number of those in decision-making on regional authorities and boards are Men. With Women accounting for 49.8% (2002 census) of the population of Kerry, the statistics and percentages presented on this page expose a stark picture and are of serious concern to the Women’s Issues Task Force Committee who are representative of a large number of Women in Kerry.

In Ireland only 13% of the current Dail are Women and this figure has only risen by 5% in the past 20 years. This is mirrored in Kerry where there is only one Woman TD. Can a few women realistically represent the diverse needs and interests of all Women? On Kerry County Council, Women account for only 7% of our Councillors. The national average for Women Councillors is 15% (this has not changed in the past 10 years). In fact Kerry County Council are only 2^nd from the bottom of the table with respect to Female County Councillors, just ahead of Westmeath & South Tipperary at 4%.

Apart from the Kerry County Childcare Committee, which is predominantly Women, representation of Women on Boards (State & Others) in Kerry for which statistics are presented on this page, average out at 32%. That is, in spite of the Government issuing guidelines in 1991, recommending that appointments to State Boards should observe a balance between men and women - 60/40.

Progress on parity democracy for Women in Ireland is simply not happening. State and other Boards can take positive action in Kerry to deliver parity participation for Women in decision-making positions. Leaders committed to equality and real representation have to develop structures and practices which will lead to equality in decision making between Men and Women. They need to adopt a pro-active role to develop diversity programmes that include reducing barriers to women’s participation and selection. In addition, the introduction of mentoring and family-friendly policies would facilitate the juggling of many roles that women occupy. Democracy should be representative and participative and male dominated fora should not and ought not make decisions for a whole society.

The United Nations Development Programme states that “there can be no true democracy, no true people’s participation in governance and development without the equal participation of women and men in all spheres of life and levels of decision making”.

Kerry County Council

County Childcare Committee

Kerry Education Services

Cork / Kerry Tourism

Kerry County Enterprise Board

South Kerry Development Ptn

Killarney UDC

Arising from the concern that even now in 2003, the Irish Social Welfare system continues to deny Women full independence, the National Women’s Council of Ireland commissioned research on the issue. Resulting from that research, they have published a policy report ‘A Woman’s Model for Social Welfare Reform’. The report has forwarded a number of rationales to argue for a modernised social welfare system. It argues for reform from an equality and anti-poverty perspective and points to the need for reforms that enable outcomes which maximise the economic independence of women. The research concludes that social welfare reform is crucial and urgent and driven by the need:

Launch of the Kerry Women Together Website and Presentation of FETAC Certificates
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Cahersiveen Women    Registration at              Audience at Kenmare   The three speakers at Kenmare
listen intently                Kenmare                                                             Susan Breau, Mary Breen and Mary Kelly

The above events were funded through the South Kerry Development Partnership’s LEADER+ programme.

The National Collective of Community-based Women’s Networks (N.C.C.W.N.) was formed in March 2002 to provide a collective mechanism for women’s networks to participate in, develop, and respond to national policy development. The Collective also works to strengthen women’s networks capacity to be involved in local, regional, national, European and global issues. N.C.C.W.N. comprises of twenty-three women’s networks based all over the country. Women’s networks have been developed since the early 1990’s by grass roots women’s groups in rural and urban areas to support them to come together, share information, provide training and support and to address issues at local, regional and national levels. They have developed a representative and lobbying role in relation to shaping policies that impact on their members, articulating the voices of women, in particular disadvantaged women, in a variety of policy making foras. These women’s networks represent approximately 324 locally based women’s groups.

Women’s networks have constantly recognised the need to have their own independent national structure for community based women’s network’s to ensure their issues and policies were acted upon. Consequently the National Collective was established.

The South Kerry Women's Networks Banchara, KWOTE, SKWA and Greater Kenmare area Women's Networks are represented on the NCCWN.

Trans-national Exchange Meeting between South Kerry Business Women and members of the WiRE (Women in Rural Enterprise) Network Organisation in the U.K

WiRE (Women in Rural Enterprise) is a network organisation, within the Rural Business School at Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire, set up to help rural women start and maintain their own enterprise. WiRE has an in depth knowledge and much experience of rural specific issues and barriers to new business. To visit the Wire website click here

Eleven business women from South Kerry, members of The ‘Kerry Women Together’ Task Force Committee and the Project Team (total of 15) travelled to the U.K to meet with participants of the WiRE Network Organisation and to attended their annual conference last week.

The meeting was very successful and the business women involved in the exchange came home full of inspiration and enthusiasm. The value of networking was highlighted throughout the trip and it is hoped that the women will stay in touch and provide a support for one another in running their businesses. There were also opportunities for networking for the project team, and many links have been extablished with other agencies who may pay a visit to South Kerry over the coming year.

The Kerry Women Together team visited Field2Kitchen, an organic vegetable business and Tiara Store a wedding accessory business on Wednesday. The WiRE conference on Thursday was addressed by three successful, very down to earth, inspiring business women. Along with this the group took part in several workshops on Personal Development, E-commerce, Business Growth 7 stages of active selling, Negotiate for Success or PR in a nutshell. There were more informal question and answer sessions on packaging and websites. Friday was spent visiting Rupert Scott, glass design specialists in unique kiln-fused wall tiles. In the afternoon the group visited the Roman Vineyards which was both interesting and enjoyable to see.

Overall the visit was beneficial to all involved and one worth repeating next year - so business women watch this space!

Here is a summary of the National Women's Council of Ireland Jobs for the Boys publication.

THE FACTS ABOUT HOW WOMEN ARE EXCLUDED FROM POLITICS AND DECISION -MAKING IN IRELAND

To read all about the actual situation of women in politics in these amazing publications 'Jobs for the Boys' and 'Put more Women in the Picture', log onto the National Women's Council of Ireland on www.nwci.ie

In October of 2002, the Women's Issues Task Force, of the Kerry Women Together programme, compiled an information leaflet on Women and State Pensions, which was delivered to each household in South Kerry. The following is the contents of the leaflet

Women & State Pensions

The Irish Social Insurance (PRSI) System as it presently operates is discriminatory towards Women in that it does not recognise a woman’s contribution in caring work in the home or her work in a family business.

For a woman to qualify for Social Insurance benefits such as maternity or a contributory Old Age Pension, she must have a PRSI record. To have a PRSI record, she must have made PRSI contributions and she can only do this if she has a source of quantifiable income.
The current rates for State Pensions are:

Women Working in the Home

Women’s unpaid work in the home remains completely unvalued. Because women in the home do not have a reckonable income, they cannot make PRSI contributions and therefore will not receive a Full Contributory Pension. What they will receive (only if their husband has paid PRSI contributions to qualify for a full contributory pension himself) is a qualified adult pension, which currently is at a lower rate than the full contributory pension

While some progress has been made with the introduction of a Homemakers Credit Scheme which allows women to disregard periods of up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years or those with serious disabilities when calculating their social insurance record, the scheme does not cover:

Women working in Family Businesses

In the majority of instances, family business assets are usually held in men’s names and in the case of a married couple, business income is often declared in the husband’s name only. So, the wife may have no declared income and will consequently be unable to have a pension-plan, since PRSI contributions were not made in her name. She will therefore be surviving on a qualified adult pension and may not even qualify for the means tested non-contributory pension as the means test would take account of their husband’s assets.

The Government are examining a Personal Pension entitlement for Pensioner Spouses that will apply to spouses of pensioners, if they are not covered by PRSI themselves and will replace the current Qualified Adult Allowance. This will be paid at the non-contributory pension rate i.e. €134 per week, but will not be means tested. However, as yet there is no indication exactly when this new pension will be introduced.

On behalf of Women in South Kerry, the Kerry Women Together, Women’s Issues Task Force Committee would like to see the following changes being made to the Irish Social Insurance System:

If you have concerns regarding your pension entitlements or wish to know about the minimum requirements to receive a state pension contact you local Social Welfare office or the Department of Social and Family Affairs, Pensions Services Office, College Road, Sligo. Tel: 071 69800

The pensions board has a ‘Women and Pensions’ book available. Contact them directly for a copy of the booklet on 01-6131900

Many women are struggling to survive on qualified adult or non-contributory pensions because they could not safeguard their future through the Irish Social Insurance system. Please do not let this continue! Raise the issues with your local politician.

''Getting out of the House', women returning to employment, education and training'

The Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI) undertook research on the information, training and support needs of women returners to education and employment in 2001. The research was managed by the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) and funded under the Equality for Women Measure (as is the Kerry Women Together Programme). While the following research findings may not come as a surprise to many of us, the research is the first comprehensive study of women returners. We can only hope that it will enable service providers in the area of training, education & employment to better understand the needs of women returners & accommodate them accordingly.

The research involved two separate elements - an analysis of the findings of the Living in Ireland Survey and focus groups with women who had made the transition to education, training or employment, women who had not returned to the workforce in any form, and with service providers. The research found that women returners who made a successful transition tended to be younger than women on home duties and to have spent less time out of the workforce. As anticipated, childcare was a particular barrier for women with children under 5, while the absence of family-friendly policies seriously restricted the sort of employment options available to women returners with caring responsibilities. It found that many women returners experience educational disadvantages, having lower than average educational levels - this highlights the continuing need for support for women's community education sector.

The ESRI's research confirmed that women returners are returning to low-paid, insecure employment. It also confirmed a pattern of downward mobility (already identified in the UK) where women returners tend to be forced to access jobs at lower skills' levels than those which they left to look after their families. Accordingly, it highlighted the need for existing education and training to be made available to women returners and for the establishment of a dedicated National Support Programme for Women Returners which would offer the targeted supports needed to facilitate women returners' entry into secure and sustainable employment. Source: National Women’s Council of Ireland.

The ‘Kerry Women Together’ Programme held an information evening on ‘Women & State Pensions’. Over 100 women attended the meeting in the Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney, wishing to learn more about their entitlements. Joan Collins, Chairperson of ‘Kerry Women Together’ programme opened the meeting.
Speakers for the night were:

If you have concerns regarding your pension entitlements or wish to know about the minimum requirements to receive a state pension contact your local Social Welfare office or the Department of Social, Community & Family Affairs, Pensions Services Office, College Road, Sligo Tel: (071) 69 800.

The Pensions Board has a ‘Women & Pensions’ book available. Contact the Pensions Board at 01 613 1900.

This project is funded by the Equality for Women Measure of the Regional Operational Programme of the National Development Plan 2000 - 2006
The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is responsible for the Equality for Women Measure