Shifting Masculine Norms to Promote Women’s Empowerment – an Irish perspective

Ireland becomes the first country globally to carry out Gender Norm Research based on OECD Framework.

Ireland recently became the first country in the world to apply an OECD Framework on masculine gender norms to national data. The publication of Statistical Spotlight No 6 on Gender Norms by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) aims to provide data to measure the characteristics of “restrictive masculinities” and their consequences for women and girls empowerment. It forms part of a wider discussion on the relationships between gender equality and gendered norms in the public and private spheres in Ireland.

To publicise and raise awareness of this research around masculine gender norms, a webinar was organised by DCEDIY earlier this year. This webinar – entitled “Shifting Masculine Norms to Promote Women’s Empowerment” and moderated by Cathal Mac Coille – introduced the OECD Framework and the main findings of Statistical Spotlight no. 6. Featured speakers included thought leaders Bathylle Missika from the OECD Development Centre, Sinéad Gibney, Chief Commissioner of the Human Rights and Equality Commission and Orla O’Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, as well as Ronnie Downes, Assistant Secretary, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Fergal Fox, Head of Stakeholder Engagement and Communications for the Health Service Executive Health and Wellbeing programme, and the authors of the Statistical Spotlight report Nicola Tickner and Fiona Corcoran, Research and Evaluation Unit, Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The webinar was attended by over 130 participants representing civil society organisations, research and academic institutions, trade unions and employer organisations, as well as Government Departments and State agencies. A report on the discussion at the webinar was commissioned by the Department from Dr Pauline Cullen of Maynooth University, and can be found here.

Way Forward

The DCEDIY study shows that even in a country like Ireland where significant legislative and policy measures to promote gender equality have been implemented in recent years, more work can be done to tackle some of the hidden attitudinal drivers of inequality. Moving from restrictive masculinities to gender-equitable masculinities has positive consequences for women’s wellbeing and allows men to take on diverse role and behaviours, which in turn is positive for their wellbeing.

While the report provides a baseline against which our progress in society can be measured, there are gaps which need to be addressed and additional data is required to indicate if Ireland as a country is making progress to address these drivers of gender inequality. The report does not include policy analysis or recommendations, but can be used to inform that purpose, and will inform the Government’s approach on a number of issues, such as paternity leave, boosting female participation in politics and leadership roles, and health care policy.

The webinar discussion highlighted some areas in which practical short-term actions could possibly work. These include policies that make sharing of parental leave mandatory; the removal of barriers that deter fathers from taking time to care; designing programmes that promote flexible and gender equal workplaces; developing targets to promote equal access to occupational sectors currently dominated by either gender; awareness raising through well-resourced and comprehensive “fact-based” public campaigns to dispel myths about gender equality; and a systematic review of data gaps with a specific focus on the private sphere.

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