Dr. Catherine Day to chair new Citizens' Assembly on gender equality

Issued by the Government Press Office

Dr. Catherine Day, former Secretary General of the European Commission will chair a new Citizens’ Assembly to advance gender equality.

On 11 June the government agreed to establish a Citizens’ Assembly to bring forward proposals to advance gender equality. A Resolution approving the establishment of the Assembly was passed in Dáil Éireann on 9 July and Seanad Éireann on 11 July.

Specifically the Assembly has been asked to bring forward proposals that:

challenge the remaining barriers and social norms and attitudes that facilitate gender discrimination towards girls and boys, women and men
identify and dismantle economic and salary norms that result in gender inequalities, and reassess the economic value placed on work traditionally held by women
seek to ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in the workplace, politics and public life
recognise the importance of early years parental care and seek to facilitate greater work-life balance
examine the social responsibility of care and women and men’s co-responsibility for care, especially within the family
scrutinise the structural pay inequalities that result in women being disproportionately represented in low pay sectors

The Assembly will report to the Houses of the Oireachtas which, on receipt of the Report, will refer it for consideration to a relevant Committee of both Houses.

Following completion of the work of the Citizens’ Assembly on gender equality a new Chairperson and Assembly will consider the best model of local government for Dublin.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

The Assembly will comprise the Chairperson plus 99 citizens randomly selected on the basis of being representative of the Irish electorate in terms of gender, age and regional spread. The Citizens’ Assemblies Act 2019 to permit the electoral register to be used in the selection of the citizen members has been enacted and preparatory work is well advanced to establish the Assembly with a view to convening a first meeting as soon as possible.

The Assembly has been asked to develop its work programme with a view to completing its work within 6 months.