New survey reveals that three out of five people believe women are not treated equally in Ireland

A new survey by Newstalk has provided insights into how people think about gender equality and #MeToo in modern Ireland. The survey, which was conducted by Red C, revealed worrying statistics about how Irish people view gender roles and working women.

The Women in Ireland survey asked questions such as “Do you believe men and women are treated equally in Irish society today, or not?” and “whether you believe that there is a societal expectation for one gender to take on more responsibility than the other” for areas such as childcare and DIY.

The survey found that three out of five people believe that men and women are not treated equally in Ireland, with 70% of women supporting this view and 50% of men.

Over 75% of respondents believe that women are expected by society to take more of a responsibility in the home and for children. Over 90% of respondents believe that men are expected societally to be in charge of DIY.

When it comes to tangible gender disproportions such as the gender pay gap, 91% and 85% of those surveyed believe that equal pay and career prospects are unfairly skewed towards men. Almost 75%, however, believe that education and healthcare are equally available to both genders.

The survey also tackled one of the biggest issues of the year in relation to gender equality; the #MeToo movement. The results worryingly revealed that one-quarter of Irish people had not even heard of the movement and the majority of people who had said that they knew only a little about it. Of those aware of #MeToo, 75% believe it had a positive impact, but two-thirds believe that ‘unrelated claims and unreliable accusations’ have diluted the movement.

Commenting on the survey, Newstalk Managing Editor, Patricia Monahan said: “Over the past thirty years, Ireland has witnessed many societal changes but this survey has shown that gender inequality continues to be a live and major issue for Irish people.”