wipl research gender balance public bodies

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Women's Representation on Public Bodies and

Decision-Making Structures

Derry/Londonderry and Donegal

Donegal Co Council Second Chance Education Foyle Womens

Project for Women Information Network


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Acknowledgements

Women into Public Life (WIPL) would like to thank all the organisations listed in

this report that provided the necessary data. Their cooperation has been

invaluable. Thank you to the seminar speakers for their openness in sharing

their experiences; their contributions and those of the participants have

helped to shape the outcomes of this research. A very special thanks to

Rachel Coyle, an intern and research graduate with WIPL who carried out this

research in a professional manner and gave of her time most generously.

We hope the findings will stimulate boards, and particularly those surveyed in

this research, to take action to redress the serious gender imbalance of their

structures and avail of the wealth of experience and untapped potential of

womens leadership.

Noirin Clancy

WIPL Project Co-ordinator

November 2012

Abbreviations

WIPL- Women into Public Life

EWL- European Womens Lobby

OCPANI- Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland

OFMDFM- office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland

CSO- Central Statistics Office

IOD- Institute of Directors

The views and opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of the

European Commission or the Special EU Programmes Body.


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Table of contents

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Foreword

1. INTRODUCTION 32. THE CONTEXTSCommitments and Reality

2.1 International Commitments 3

2.2 National commitments 5

2.3 Commitments made ... but what progress? 6

2.4 Appointments processes 7

3. THE FINDINGS3.1 Snapshot of public bodies 103.2 Cross Border Bodies 11

3.3 North/South Implementation Bodies 11

3.4 Local Bodies 12

3.5 Education 12

3.6 Enterprise and Tourism 13

3.7 Policing 13

3.8 Childcare 14

3.9 Area Partnerships 14

3.10 Analysis of the data 15

4. WHAT WOMEN THINKVIEWS FROM THE FOCUS GROUPAND SEMINAR 17

4.1 The barriers

4.1.1 Recruitment process 18

4.1.2 Family commitments 20

4.1.3 Travel 204.1.4 Confidence 21

4.1.5 Lack of training 21

4.1.6 Culture 214.2 What needs to change? 22

5. CONCLUSION and RECOMMENDATIONS 24BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDICES

Appendix I Focus group invite and list of participants

Appendix II Programme for the June seminar and list of participants


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1. INTRODUCTIONWomen into Public Life

Women into Public Life (WIPL) is a partnership between three womens organisations:Second Chance Education Project for Women (Donegal), Foyle Womens

Information Network (Derry/Londonderry) and Engender (Scotland). Donegal

County Council is the Lead Partner. The Project is funded under the EUs INTERREG

IVA Programme for activities over a three year period up to December 2012 and its

overall aim is to address the under representation of women in public life. Activities

have included leadership training programmes, seminars, research and policy work.

An independent Evaluator was appointed to the Project and a final evaluation

report will be available in December 2012.

Research on gender balance of public bodies and decision-making structures

WIPL carried out research into the gender balance of public bodies and decision-

making structures in the regions of County Donegal and Derry/Londonderry.

The statistics outlined present a snapshot of the gender balance on key bodies and

decision-making structures at national, cross border and local levels. The main

findings focus on decision-making structures in the aforementioned areas. The data

comes from a variety of primary and secondary sources, mainly websites and direct

contact with organisations. They represent a moment in time and, as such, aresubject to change.

The research methodology also involved a focus group discussion and a seminar

which brought together women from different sectors that had experience of

boards in different capacities, many of whom had participated in WIPLs leadership

training programmes. These sessions provided opportunities to get womens views on

the barriers and challenges to womens participation, hear about the different

procedures north and south and identify what needs to change in order to redress

the imbalance

This report is divided into three main sections. The first section summarises the

commitments made by government at international and national levels with regard

to women and decision-making. The second section presents the findings from the

data gathered along with the views expressed at the focus group and seminar. The

final section presents the conclusion and recommendations.


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2. THE CONTEXTSCommitments and Reality

2.1 International commitments

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against

women in the political and public life of the country and, in particular, shall ensure to

women, on equal terms with men, the right to participate in the formulation of

government policy .... (CEDAW Article 7)

Significant progress has been achieved over the decades to address the power

inequalities between women and men. However, in many areas, persistent and

systematic inequalities continue, particularly with regard to womens participation in

political and public life. Women remain grossly underrepresented in national

parliaments. The average representation of women in European parliaments is 24%

and in national governments 23% (EWL, 2010).

The Irish parliament is represented by 85% men and 15% women. The Northern

Ireland Assembly has a slightly higher percentage of women at 19%. The Irish

Government recently introduced gender quota legislation (Electoral Amendment

(Political Funding) Bill 2011) which will see a requirement from all state parties to put

forward a minimum of 30% candidates of either gender in the next election. It is

hoped that in time, this along with other measures, will help to redress the

imbalance.

With regard to womens representation on corporate boards, the European

Commission has issued a draft directive proposing to force companies to reserve at

least 40% of their non-executive board seats for women (EurActive.com, 2011).

Womens representation on public bodies has received less attention. Yet the

figures have stalled for the past decade, levelling at approximately 34% across

Ireland and Northern Ireland. This figure remains even though both governments

have signed up to a number of international agreements aimed at eradicating

gender inequality, with particular reference to women in decision making. Below is a

list of agreements both the Irish government and Northern Irish Assembly haveratified, and what commitments these documents bind governments to make in

relation to women in decision making.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

(CEDAW) has been ratified by both the UK and Irish Governments, requiring them to

eliminate discrimination against women in all fields. Governments submit periodic

reports outlining their compliance under the various articles of the Convention. On

submission of reports they are examined on their progress before the CEDAW


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Committee which then issues Concluding Observations. These detail areas where

Governments need to do more work in order to advance womens equality.

In 2008, the CEDAW Committee highlighted to the UK Government the need for

training programmes:

The Committee urges the State party to increase the availability of

training and capacity-building programmes for women wishing to enter oralready in public office and to enhance its awareness-raising campaigns

on the importance of womens participation in political and public life. The

Committee also calls for the full implementation of Security Council

resolution 1325 (2000) in Northern Ireland.(Concluding observations of theCEDAW Committee - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern

Ireland, July 2008)

The CEDAW Committee examined the Irish government in 2005 and in its Concluding

Observations recommended that it

take sustained measures to increase the representation of women in

elected bodies ... and recommends that research be carried out under

the aegis of a parliamentary committee into the root causes of the lack ofprogress in this area.

The Beijing Platform for Action committed governments to implement initiatives to

achieve equality for women. Strategic Objective G2 states governments must

Increase women's capacity to participate in decision-making and

leadership... provide leadership and self-esteem training to assist women

and girls, particularly those with special needs, women with disabilities and

women belonging to racial and ethnic minorities to strengthen their self-

esteem and to encourage them to take decision- making positions.

(Beijing Platform for Action, Strategic Objective G2)

The UNs Security Council Resolution 1325

urges Member States to ensure increased representation of women at all

decision-making levels in national, regional and international institutions

and mechanisms for the prevention, management, and resolution of

conflict.(UN Security Council resolution 1325)

The Strategy for equality between women and men 2010-2015 calls on theEuropean Commission to monitor progress towards the aim of 40% of members of

one sex in committees and expert groups established by the Commission. In efforts

to achieve the objectives of Europe 2020, the Commission emphasises that:

the potential and the talent pool of women need to be used more extensively and

efficiently. (European Commission, 2010).


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2.2 NATIONAL COMMITMENTS

Not only have the Irish and UK Governments signed up to these international

agreements, they have also made commitments nationally and developed

strategies to advance womens equality.

The Gender Equality Strategy for Northern Ireland states: government will seek to

achieve a gender balance on all government-appointed committees, boards and

other relevant official bodies. (OFMDFM, 2010)

Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires public authorities to promote

equality of opportunity between men and women generally, and between persons

of differing sexual orientation. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has a

statutory role in monitoring the implementation of these duties.

However, according to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, there is no

overall gender target for public appointments in Northern Ireland, and the

Programme for Government for 2011-2015 does not contain any provisions to

introduce one. (Spokesperson for Equality Commission Northern Ireland, 8 May

2012).

The National Womens Strategy(NWS) is the Irish Governments policy document in

relation to progressing equality for women and a key objective (14) is to increase

the number of women in decision-making positions in Ireland.

A NWS Sub-Committee on Women in Decision-Making was established in 2010 with

the aim of setting in train a range of measurable and targeted actions to advance

the position of women in key decision-making positions in Ireland and propose

recommendations and will propose recommendations, where appropriate, for

improving the current situation in the following areas which include women on

boards (both Corporate and State Boards).

The Sub-Committee was due to present an update to the Monitoring Committee

over the summer of 2011.

In 1995 the Irish Government did introduce targets requiring public bodies to appoint

a minimum of 40% of women and men appointed to all State boards (Government

decision S21590E of March 1995) (Pillinger, 2012).

In March 2011 the incoming Irish Government in its Programme for Government

stated that it will take steps to ensure all State boards have at least 40% of each

gender (Department of the Taoiseach, 2012).


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2.3 COMMITMENTS MADE ... BUT WHAT PROGRESS?

National picture of women on boards, North and South

Despite commitments by governments at international and national levels, progress

has been at a snails pace.

Republic of Ireland

It is 17 years since the Government set a target of 40% for the representation of

women on State Boards (Government decision S21590E of March 1995) (Pillinger,

2012). However, this target has never been reached and figures have stalled at

approximately 34%.

In 2011, women accounted for just over one in three members of State Boards(34.7%) and were outnumbered by men in all national and regional decision-making

structures in Ireland (CSO, 2011). At the end of 2009, there were 3,299 persons serving

on 269 State Boards; of these Board Members, 1,120 were women, giving a female

representation rate of just under 34%. Female representation for 2009 represented no

change on the 2008 figures (CSO, 2011).

Northern Ireland

The number of women on public bodies has remained static since the mid 1990sand increased from a very low base after initial initiatives were introduced in the mid

1980s.

The current figure stands at 33% women (down 1% from 2010). Of the 1510 public

appointments held at 31 March 2011, 67% were held by men and 33% by women.

The corresponding figures at 31 March 2010 were 66% and 34% respectively.

(OFMDFM, 2011).

When broken down by chairperson and board member appointments and

compared to 2009/10, the figures show that:

the number of male chairpersons increased from 78% to 82%; the number of female chairpersons decreased from 22% to 18%; the number of male board members increased from 65% to 66%; and the number of female board members decreased from 35% to 34%

(OFMDFM, 2011).


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2.4 Appointment Processes

Northern Ireland has a formal process in the recruitment of public bodies. Public

appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for

Northern Ireland (OCPANI) whose duty is to ensure that appointments are made onmerit, in a fair and open way, with equality of opportunity for everyone.

The role of Public Appointments Commissioner was created in 1995 with a remit to

provide guidance for Government departments on procedures for making public

appointments; to audit those procedures and report on them annually; and to

investigate complaints about appointment processes. The Commissioner is

independent of government and is supported by a team of civil servants (CPANI,

2012)

Those who show an interest in a vacant public appointment receive an informationpack containing details of the appointment including the criteria required to

perform the role and an application form. If shortlisted, the applicant is then called

for interview. (OFMDFM Central Appointments Unit, 2012.

Despite the establishment of procedures in Northern Ireland since 1995, it has not

resulted in gender balance. Former Commissioner, Felicity Huston, was critical of

a recruitment culture which fills

public bodies predominantly with stale, pale males, who provide civilservants with a mirror image of themselves, rather than personalities who

challenge them. (The Detail, 03 JULY 2011)

A survey carried out in Northern Ireland highlighted the barriers inhibiting womens

participation on boards. These included the application process, confidence, lack


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of experience and experience not gained through traditional routes, awareness of

opportunities and time and family commitments. (Mullan, 2011).

A new Diversity Working Group has been established by the Commissioner as part

of his continuing initiative to highlight and tackle the issue of under-representation

on public boards. The Group met for the first time in July 2012 with a key objective of

formulating action points which will help combat this lack of diversity on

the public boards in Northern Ireland. (CPANI, 2012)

The Republic of Ireland has no similar process for appointments to state boards.

Recent Government policy stipulates that State board vacancies should be

advertised.

In April 2011, the Cabinet approved a Memorandum from the Minister for

Public Expenditure and Reform, proposing that vacancies on State Boards should in

future be advertised on the website of the relevant Government department. Thepublic advertisements inviting applications would also contain the following line:

In considering applications due regard will be given to Government policy

on gender balance on State Boards". (Government decision S180/20/10/1424 of 12

April 2011)

While it is too early to judge if this is successful, a recent survey concluded the

process is not as transparent as it should be with nearly two-thirds of those surveyed

stating the positions were not advertised widely enough and most people hearing

about vacancies by word of mouth or through contact with the relevant minister.(IOD, 2012).

TASC is critical of the monopoly of board positions by elite groups lacking any

accountability,

Ireland is out of step with best practice elsewhere in that it does not have

a public appointments commission to oversee the appointment of

approximately 5,000 persons to the boards of public bodies (TASC report,2011).

Often community and voluntary pillar positions on a public board are advertised

and elections held whereby community and voluntary groups put forward

candidates and vote for members to represent them on particular boards. This

appears to be a positive step with many local authorities such as councils and area

partnerships offering to referee the election to ensure transparency. However, the

community and voluntary pillar is rarely on the majority of any board and often

political patronage can affect community groups.


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The scope of this research did not allow for any examination of the appointments

processes of voluntary and statutory organisations in the region.

This next section presents a snapshot of the gender balance on some key bodies at

national and cross border level with the main focus on public bodies and decision-

making structures in the Derry/Londonderry and County Donegal region. The data

obtained comes from a variety of primary and secondary sources, mainly websites

and direct contact with organisations. The statistics represent a moment in time

and, as such, are subject to change.


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3. THE FINDINGSThe statistics outlined below present a snapshot of the gender balance of some key

bodies and decision-making structures at national, cross border and local levels. The

first three tables focus on national bodies, Cross Border bodies and North/SouthImplementation bodies. The tables that follow focus on public bodies and decision-

making structures in Derry/Londonderry and are broken into the following sectors:

education etc. with each table representing the respective areas.

3.1 Snapshot of National Public Bodies

Out of eleven bodies surveyed north and south, only three have gender balance

although six do meet the 40% target set by Irish government. The Equality Authority,

the NI Housing Executive and the NI Rural Development Council have gender

balance. (Equality Authority has two vacant positions which skew the statistics).


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3.2 Cross Border BodiesThe following chart represents the boards of cross border bodies; none of which

meet the 40% target. Three of the six boards have 10% or less female representation

while one, the board of the International Centre for Local and Regional

Development, has no female representation.

3.3 North South Implementation Bodies

This chart represents the North South Ministerial Council and its implementation

bodies. The Ministerial Council is represented by TDs and MLAs so the 20% femalerepresentation reflects gender balance in governments. Waterways Ireland does

not have a functioning board at the moment so is not included. It is interesting to

note that two of the five bodies have a slight majority of women board members.


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3.4 Local Bodies

This chart represents local decision making structures. The figures illustrate elected

members of Donegal and Derry City Councils. The figures for the peace

partnerships are similar. For the councils however, Derry city council has 27%

women while Donegal lags behind with only 10% women represented, of the 29councillors only three are women.

3.5 Education

This chart represents the education boards in the area. One out of six boards has a

majority of women while the remaining five fail to achieve gender balance; the

University of Ulster, however, is close at 47%. This is interesting as the majority of

education sector employees are female- yet their boards do not reflect this.


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3.6 Enterprise and Tourism

These charts represent the enterprise and tourism boards in the respective areas.

None of the four boards have gender balance. The Board of Invest NI has no

woman at all while Donegal County Enterprise Board has only one woman member.

3.7 Policing

These charts represent policing boards in the region. It is interesting to note thecontrast. The Derry/Londonderry board has a majority of female members while the

Donegal board has only 14% of women represented.


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3.8 Childcare

The following chart represents childcare boards. Unsurprisingly, women far outweigh

men on these boards as childcare is traditionally affiliated with womens work.

3.9 Area Partnerships

The following chart represents area partnerships. RAPID (Rural Area Partnership in

Derry) has a gender balance while the other four organisations fail to meet the 40%

target.


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3.10 ANALYSIS OF THE FINDINGS

The findings presented clearly show that women remain underrepresented in public

bodies and key decision-making bodies at both national and cross border levels and

in the Derry/Londonderry and Donegal regions.

Statistics for national and cross-border bodies reveal:

Of the 11 bodies surveyed, only three have gender balance, the EqualityAuthority, the NI Housing Executive and NI Rural Development Council, and

six bodies meet the 40% target set by Irish government.

None of the boards of cross-border bodies have gender balance or meet the40% target. The board of the International Centre for Local and Regional

Development has no female representation.

Of the five North/South Implementation Bodies, two boards have a slightmajority of women members.

In the Donegal and Derry/Londonderry regions, the figures highlight:

Only two bodies have gender balance, RAPID (Rural Area Partnership inDerry) and the Donegal Education Centre.

Women represent the majority of board members in the childcare sector inboth regions and have a slight majority on the policing board in

Derry/Londonderry.

The enterprise sector has the poorest record, with no female representationon its board in Northern Ireland.


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The summary of the findings do not reveal any surprises. The over-representation of

women in the childcare sector reflects their traditional roles in society as the main

care givers and the reality that childcare is still womens work.

It is interesting to note that a policing body in Derry/Londonderry has a majority of

women.

It is also important to note that many boards require a number of councillors to sit on

them, which can skew the outcome. Until councils themselves have gender balance

it will be difficult for this to be achieved on some boards where councillors hold

many of the seats.


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4. WHAT WOMEN THINKViews from the Focus Group and the Seminar

This section summarises discussions from the focus group and seminar. These two

events provided opportunities to discuss a range of issues concerning womensrepresentation on public bodies.

The focus group, held in May, involved a small group of women from the region

some of whom had experience of participating on boards. Preliminary findings from

the research and the challenges and barriers inhibiting womens participation on

boards were discussed. (See Appendix I for programme and list of participants).

A follow-up seminar, Who makes the decisions? Womens Representation on

Boards, was then held in June which provided an opportunity to hear about the

big picture, have more in-depth discussions on the challenges and identify whatneeds to change to redress the gender imbalance on boards. At the seminar, Eoin

Murray (Womens Equality in Politics Project Co-ordinator) National Womens

Council of Ireland and Ann Marie Gray (Senior Lecturer, Social Administration &

Policy) University of Ulster presented statistics and the policy contexts North and

South. Presentations were made by five women, currently sitting on a range of

decision-making structures in the region who spoke of their experiences and

challenges. Several women were former WIPL training participants. At a national

level, a former board member of the Educational Building Society, Eithna Tinney,

spoke of the particular challenges she faced when she served as a non-executive

director. (See Appendix II for seminar programme and list of speakers).


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4.1The barriers to womens participation on boards4.1.1 Recruitment processes

Lack of information

The differences in recruitment procedures to boards north and south were

highlighted. Women commented on the lack of information on vacancies and

recruitment processes in the Republic of Ireland in comparison to Northern Ireland.

While some bodies, such as partnerships and Vocational Educational Committees,

look for nominations to their boards through community groups or parents

committees, many State Board vacancies are not widely advertised. As one

participant commented:

I wouldnt even think of it, its not on your radar, Ive never seen any positions

advertised so it wouldnt enter my head . . . unless of course youre in theknow.

Application process

While there is a formal mechanism in Northern Ireland, some problems were

highlighted regarding the application process:

The process in Northern Ireland is similar to applying for a job; often applications

can be up to 22 pages long and can take weeks to complete.

Many women described this arduous and lengthy procedure as very off-putting.

Interviews

When attending for interviews, participants were reminded of the importance of self-

promotion and acknowledging individual skills and achievements, not something

women do automatically.

Selling ourselves and recognising the value of our skills and qualities and how

you present yourself is vital.

In the voluntary sector when talking about the work we do, the language

women use is we; however, the we must become I when being

interviewed.

When attending for interview for a board position, conflict of interest can also be

an issue when, for example, in a place like Derry, everyone knows everyone either

personally or through reputation.


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Lack of diversity

Despite a formal appointments process in Northern Ireland since 1995, this has not

resulted in diversity on boards. Many participants were critical of the fact that in

most cases boards do not reflect the diversity of the people its decisions affect.

As one participant commented:

People appoint in their own likeness.

Another participant emphasised the importance of naming it:

We should acknowledge the privileged the able bodied, settled,

heterosexual etc. women on boards are all similar . . . theres no diversity.

The overlap in membership was also highlighted. Once you are in the system, you

are in and much more likely to get on to other boards:

We can quickly become known as the person who sits on committee the

revolving door syndrome.

Seminar speakers: Ethna Tinney (former Educational Building Society Board Member);

Ann Marie Gray (University of Ulster); Shauna McClenaghan (Donegal County

Development Board); Avril Sweeney (Start Strong/Donegal County Childcare

Committee); Helen Henderson (NI Fisheries Board Member); Paula Leonard (Donegal

Community Forum) Catherine Pollock (Derry Policing & Community Safety Partnership);

Noirin Clancy (WIPL).


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4.1.2 Family commitmentsMany participants highlighted the fact they would not even consider applying for a

position on a board due to family commitments. If boards offer paid posts this can

help towards the cost of childcare, but this is not always the case. Some noted how

different it is for men:

Men have the luxury of giving it little thought, they apply and think about any

consequences later.

Be aware of how much time is actually expected from you; you dont want to

get burned out.

Women felt strongly that their time parenting and working in the home is not valued.

Many pointed out that the skills involved in running a home such as managing

budgets and finance, planning and organisation skills are perfectly transferrable to

the boardroom. However, this does not happen in reality.

As one participant pointed out:

There is no concept of banking the time that women may take out to rear a

family and work in the home.

The widely held assumption that the experience and skills gained in child-rearing

count for nothing must be seriously challenged. This can be done most effectively bywomen who are already on boards. As one participant commented:

Its not simply a question of getting women into these decision-making bodies;

it has to be about changing the status quo.

Not only must women learn how to get on boards, they also need to

understand how to effectively influence using their position . . . we need

women who will bring a feminist analysis to the process of board decisions and

women who will support other women.

4.1.3 TravelTravel is a very practical barrier inhibiting womens participation if they wish to take

up a position on a board that meets in Belfast or Dublin, given the distances from

Donegal and Derry/Londonderry. For someone in Donegal a two- or three-hour

meeting could mean 10 hours of travel. This is an impossibility for most women.


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4.1.4 ConfidenceMany participants spoke about needing the confidence to even consider applying

for a position on a board, and then the confidence to actively participate. Women

board members spoke about how long it takes before they feel their voices are

heard. Getting used to the jargon and language, often perceived as sexist, is a

challenge. Many emphasised the need for ongoing training and support once you

get on. However, one participant spoke of the need to rise to the challenge,

despite the lack of confidence:

We probably just need to go for it . . . sometimes were our own worst enemy.

4.1.5 Lack of training

Many spoke of the need for focus on training in relation to getting on to boards andactively participating in them and the need for a mentoring system. It was felt that

this would greatly increase womens confidence. One woman from WIPLs Strategic

Leadership Programme spoke of how she successfully got appointed to a board as

a result of learning about the appointments process and doing a skills audit as part

of this training:

The Strategic Leadership Programme course came at a perfect time for me. I

felt the need to get more political and learn about how I could influence

policy and ultimately challenge injustice.

4.1.6 CultureSome women commented on culture as a key barrier: the way meetings are run, the

expectation that you play the game, that you dont challenge or ask the awkward

questions. There is also the expectation that women accept male as norm in terms

of behaviour, communication and the way meetings are conducted, etc. As one

participant comically remarked:

No feminist need apply.

This was clearly illustrated by a keynote speaker at the seminar, Ethna Tinney. A

former board member of the EBS, Ethna spoke about being voted off the board at

the 2007 AGM after voicing her concerns about decisions the society was making,

and challenging the Chair and Executive Director.

When I started making waves I would be ostracised . . . it is expected that

women play the game and how its played is dictated by men.


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Despite two male colleagues sharing her concerns, they did not receive the same

cold shoulder, which confirmed for her that there is a difference in being a woman

on a board. Very often women reported feeling trivialised when they are forced to

push the same argument again and againthe attitude becomes here she goes

again, which can be off-putting.

It was noted that some women on boards also participate in this game playing by

accepting without challenge the male way of doing things. It was felt these women

do nothing to support or empower other women.

For some young women members, ageism can also be an issue. One woman spoke

about having to deal with ageist remarks and being easily dismissed.

An added complication for board members in Northern Ireland (for women and

men) do with women) was the expectation that you vote according to yourreligion.

4.2 What needs to change?Participants were asked what measures could be taken to help them or other

women take up positions on boards and decision-making structures. The following

summarises their views:

Establish an independent public appointments commission in the Republic ofIreland, learning from the experience of Northern Ireland.

Adopt a more user friendly selection process in Northern Ireland in order toattract more women.

Draw up a 10 point plan on how to get selected. Establish a database or talent bank of women. Set up a mentoring system where female board members could provide

supports to other women.

Provide specific training programmes for women.

Participants at the seminar were asked to share their advice and top tips for womenconsidering taking up an appointment on a public board or decision-making

structure.

Ask questions and do not accept wishy-washy answers.

We need a critical mass, learn what your skills are and value them; be yourself.

Build alliances but do not lose your integrity; be more savvymen do lobbying

better, it seems, so we must work on this; women need to shimmy up together.


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Lift as we climb.

Support other people to replace us . . . be aware of who we are bringing along

with us.

Be sure and evaluate yourself at least once a year; ask yourself what

differences have I made? How has this advanced me as a person?

Challenge the culture of just agreeing with the chair.

Be a good advocate for your group or organisation; make submissions so that

people will recognise your name, they will begin to watch your work and

maybe you could be asked on to a board.

If you want to travel fast, travel alone; however, if you want to travel far, travel

with many.


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5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONSConclusion

The findings of this research clearly show that women continue to be under-

represented in public bodies and key decision-making structures at all levels in

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

While governments have made commitments at international level and have

developed national strategies and targets in relation to gender balance on public

boards, the findings indicate that there has been no change for the past ten years.

While there is a formal appointments process in Northern Ireland, it has not resulted in

gender balance. No similar process exists in the Republic of Ireland, several bodies

have called for the system to be more transparent, accountable and independent.

This under-representation of women, as is clearly stated in the body of this report,

constitutes a serious democratic deficit. Failure to tap into the potential of womens

skills, capacities and experiences is a serious detriment to the progress of any

society. Given the lack of sufficient progress in achieving gender balance on

boards and the fact that it remains a common challenge, North and South, radical

steps and targeted measures are necessary to shift the status quo; otherwise the

untapped potential of womens leadership will remain dormant.

Recommendations

This list of recommendations is influenced by other publications related to this issue

as well as by contributions from participants who attended the focus group and

seminar.

We are calling on both the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly to:

Comply with international human rights standards and implement respectivenational strategies to achieve a gender balance on all government-

appointed committees, boards and other relevant official bodies.

Make gender balance on State boards a statutory requirement. Establish a national support structure to enable the participation of women in

public bodies. This would include training and mentoring programmes and

opportunities to engage with national parliaments and committee structures.

Create a cross-border committee (potentially involving the respectiveEquality authorities) to monitor the gender balance of cross border bodies,


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ensuring their compliance with international standards and government

targets.

Ensure the next round of EU funding programmes (2014-2020), particularlyINTERREG V and Peace 4, include interventions to support womens

engagement in cross border activities, education and training, continuedresearch and opportunities to connect with and learn from EU networks

We are calling on the Irish government to:

Establish an all-party sub-Committee (similar to the sub-Committee onWomens participation in Politics) which would examine the challenges

facing womens participation on public bodies and make recommendations

to address this imbalance.

Follow best practice and establish a commission for public appointments.

We are calling on the Northern Ireland Assembly to:

Create a gender target for public boards, similar to that in the Republic ofIreland.

Adopt a more user friendly selection process in Northern Ireland in order toattract more women.

We are calling on womens groups and NGOs to:

Establish a talent bank in collaboration with relevant national bodies and

circulate this widely to decision-making bodies.

Disseminate information on the vacancies arising in public boards to suitable

women in the talent bank.

Establish mentoring programmes.

Develop a portal which would be a single point of access providing a rangeof web-based resources and materials in relation to womens issues.

We are calling on public bodies to address gender balance on their boards by:

Carrying out a gender audit of their own boards. Committing to gender analysis training for board members. Creating a talent bank of suitable women by liaising with relevant womens

organisations.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beijing Platform for Action

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing15/index.html

Clancy, P. and OConnor, N. (2011) Public Appointments: Options for Reform. TASCwww.tascnet.ie

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/

Crowley, N. (2011) Exchange of Good Practices in Gender Equality; Implementation

of Gender Mainstreaming Belgium, 17-18 May 2011 Comments Paper- Ireland 2011.

European Commission

Central Statistics Office (2011) Men and Women in Ireland. www.cso.ie

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment Northern Ireland (2011) Women in

Northern Ireland September 2011. www.detni.gov.uk

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (2007) National Womens Strategy

2007-2016. The Stationary Office

Donegal County Development Board (2002) Donegal County Strategy 2002-2012.

Donegal County Development Board

Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland (2011) Sex and Power Scotland.

Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland

European Commission (2010) More Women in Senior Positions; Key to Economic

Stability and Growth. European Commission

European Womens Lobby (2010) From Beijing to Brussels An Unfinished Journey; The

European Womens Lobby Beijing+15 Report on the Activities of the European Union.

Gender Equality Division Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (2008)

Implementing the National Womens Strategy 2007-2016, Progress Report 2007/2008

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Stationary House

Institute of Directors (2012) State Boards Ireland; Challenges for the Future

McGilloway, M. (2001) Finding a Balance; Promoting Women in Local Decision

Making. Derry Inter Agency Group Addressing Gender Equality

McIlwain, C. The uphill battles of a Stormont regulator. The Detail, 03 JULY 2011

McNicolas, L. (2009) Donegal County Development Boards; Planning for Inclusion in

County Donegal. Donegal Count y Council


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Mullan, E. (2011) Women on Boards: Fact of Fiction Womens Leadership

Conference 8 March 2011 Summary pre-conference research findings. Strictly

Boardroom

National Womens Council of Ireland (2002) Irish Politics, Jobs for the Boys!

North West Womens Sector 2001-2016 Strategy for the North West Womens Sector

for Derry, Strabane and Omagh Council Areas

Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland (2008). Diversity

DeliversA strategy for enhancing equality of opportunity in Scotlands ministerial

public appointments process. Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in

OFMDFM Central Appointments Unit (2012) Make Your Mark; A guide to Public

Appointments in NI. Central Appointments Unit Castle Buildings Stormont

OFMDFM (2012) Public Bodies and Public Appointments Annual Review 2010/2011.

Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland

OFMDFM Social Inclusion Team (2010) Gender Equality Strategy; A strategic

framework for action to promote gender equality for women and men 2006-2016.

Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister

Pillinger, J. (2012) Women in economic decision-making in Ireland. European

Commission

Regan, M. (April 18, 2011) Women get just 31% of state posts. Irish Examiner Online

Rubery, J. (2002) Gender Mainstreaming and Gender Equality in the EU: the impact

of the EU employment strategy. Industrial Relations Journal 33: 500-552

Womens National Commission (2009) Women in Public Life today. London. National

Womens Commission

Department of the Taoiseach (2012) Government for National Recovery 2011-2016.

Websites

Irish times Onlinehttp://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0720/1224320450882.html

(aaccessed 13/8/12)

Euroactive online

http://www.euractiv.com/socialeurope/reding-go-40-gender-quota-compan-news-

514589 accessed (13/9/12)

CPANI; http://www.publicappointmentsni.org/
http://www.publicappointmentsni.org/http://www.publicappointmentsni.org/http://www.publicappointmentsni.org/


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APPENDIX I

Focus Group Invitation 23 May 2012

The focus group will be an informal discussion where participants from both Donegal

and Derry/Londonderry will be asked to share their experiences. Participants of thefocus group are all women who currently sit on public boards. From this discussion

we are hoping to document information on potential barriers to womens equal

representation, as well as the appointments processes involved in becoming a

board member.

The information we are looking for from participants include

Appointments process of respective boards- is the board appointed throughpublic appointments or is there some sort of equality policy in relation to

appointments in the organisation

Is the board representational or does it influence policy? What is the participants experience of public boards i.e. what processes lead

them to their current positions? For example, were you nominated; did you

apply for the position?

Is there gender balance on your boards? Opinions from experience: are there barriers to womens participation and is

there anything we can do about it?

From this group, individuals will be chosen to provide a profile of their experiences in

public life (with tips for women coming forward) to be published in the final research.

List of Attendees

Name Organisation

Clancy, Noirin WIPL

Cooke, Catherine FWIN

Coyle, Rachel WIPL

Doherty, Mary Inishowen Womens Information

Network/ Strategic Leaders

Fox, Maureen WIPL

Gallagher, Crona Donegal VEC

Garfield Kidd, April Derry City Council/ FWIN

McCallion, Mary Inishowen Development Partnership/Strategic Leaders

McIntyre, Louise Creggan Pre School Training Trust

Smyth, Anne University of Ulster/ Strategic Leaders


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APPENDIX II

WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS?

WOMENS REPRESENTATION ON BOARDS

Tuesday, 26 June 2012. 10.002.00 pm

Public Services Centre, Donegal County Council, Letterkenny

This seminar will stimulate debate on the under-representation of women on boards,

present WIPL research findings, highlight the different contexts and processes North

and South, hear stories from female board members and identify what needs to

happen to redress the gender imbalance.

Speakers:

The contexts - North and South:

Ann Marie Gray, University of Ulster; Eoin Murray, National Womens Council of Ireland

Voices of Women Board Members:

North West

Catherine Pollock, Derry Policing & Community Safety Partnership Shauna McClenaghan, Donegal County Development Board Paula Leonard, Donegal Community Forum Helen Henderson, Northern Ireland Fisheries & Harbours Authority

Avril Sweeney, Start Strong / Donegal County Childcare Committee

National:

Ethna Tinney, former Board Member, Educational Building Society


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WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS?

WOMENS REPRESENTATION ON BOARDS

Tuesday, 26 June 2012. 10.002.00 pm

List of Attendees

Name Organisation

Brennan, Finola NCCWN- Donegal Womens Network

Byrne, Maureen -

Clancy, Noirin WIPL

Conaghan, Geraldine McBride Conaghan Solicitors

Conway, Theresa WIPL

Coyle, Rachel WIPL

Crossan, Mary St Johnston Family Resource Centre

Dempsey, Adele Letterkenny Womens Centre

Dillon, Carol NCCWN- NLWCDoherty, Carmel None

Doherty, Mary Inishowen Womens Information Network

Fox, Maureen WIPL

Friel, Ann Donegal Traveller Project

Friel, Catherine Tuath, LYIT

Gaynor, Janet Health Promotion HSE West

Grey, Anne Marie University of Ulster

Hegarty, Tara Walter/Hegarty Solicitors

Henderson, Helen Northern Ireland Fisheries and Harbours

Authority

Kavanagh, Roisin Letterkenny Womens Centre

Leonard, Paula Donegal Community Forum

Maguire, Mary Letterkenny Womens Centre

McCallion, Mary Inishowen Development Partnrship

McClenaghan, Shauna Donegal County Development Board

McCool, Denise Inishowen Development Partnership

McGarvey, Maeve Donegal VEC

McKinney, Mary SCEPW

McLaughlin, Ann -

Mullan, Catriona CAWT

Murray, Eoin National Womens Council of IrelandPollock, Catherine Derry Policing and Community Safety

Partnership

Sharkey, Bronagh -

Sweeney, Avril Donegal County Childcare Committee

Timony Meehan, Anne Alcohol Forum

Tinney, Ethna Educational Building Society

Ul Chochlainn, Caithlin Donegal County Council

Ward, Rose Mary The Bluestack Centre


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Documents