NO In the last decade, the situation has changed considerably for women, however mothers often find it difficult to have a sense of equality in Irish society compared to the opportunities of their spouses.

Lynn Storey, mother of two children who works fulltime in the home

A sense of responsibility to young children can prevent many from reaching their full potential. There is a lack of societal recognition for the valuable input made by mothers to family life and child-rearing.

However, equality means different things to each of us. What's really important is the sense of equality within your own relationship with your partner.

Mary McGreal, farmer and chairperson of the farm family and social policy committee of the Irish Farmers' Association and mother of six children

YES Personally, I believe that women are equal to men but they are not recognised as such. Most of the decision-making in farming is male-dominated and I feel the only way there will be a greater awareness of women's issues is when there are more women at the top level of decision-making.

There are excellent farming women who manage their farms but they are so busy that they can't justify getting involved in organisations.

I am always encouraging more women to get involved. The more female voices there are, the more likely they will be heard. I think farm women are the silent workforce in Irish agriculture. Their labour is not taken into account as part of the labour units on the farm.

Jackie Harrison, director of social policy, Irish Business and Employers' Confederation and mother of two children

YES I believe they are equal and that through equality legislation, women and men have equal rights. There has been enormous progress in terms of women participating in the workforce and the economic freedom this has given women in the last 15-20 years is very striking. But, there are still challenges in terms of equal participation across all aspects of Irish life, particularly in areas of leadership.

We must look at the ways we organise business and politics and see how these areas can be made more appealling to women.

The biggest challenge is 'mainstreaming' these issues and not to see them as women's issues separate from other debates. Valuing diversity in society and within that the representation of men and women at all levels of business and politics is the way forward.

Vera Keeley, hygiene manager at The Irish Times and mother of three grown-up children

NO I don't think women are equal to men in Irish society today. I think women find it much harder to get to the top. They are criticised more and although men and women can now do the same jobs and have equal rights in their jobs, it is more difficult for women to get into high positions - even when they are more qualified than their male colleagues.

In other areas of life, there is equality. In the home nowadays, there are a lot of men doing the cooking and the cleaning and men and women go out as much as each other.

But, women still have more responsibility for the children and now, they are often trying to do a job as well as having that responsibility.

Clare O'Sullivan, garda superintendent and mother of two

YES I think you have to believe that men and women are equal but different before you can get anywhere. Then, it depends on whether you can take up the opportunities that come your way.

I've seen much change in the area of equality since joining the Garda in 1981. The number of women joining the Garda is rising and the number of women in the higher ranks is growing. These are the obvious signs of improvement but difficult decisions have to be made by men and women when family commitments have to be met. You can't leave a traffic accident half-way through just because you have children to be collected.

The unpredictability of childcare services in Ireland means that at times women are putting this traditional caring role ahead of their careers.

Averil Power, president, Trinity College Dublin students' union

YES I believe that women can be equal to men, but we have to work much harder than them to succeed in some careers. While there are more female than male graduates coming out of many Irish universities these days, women are still disgracefully under-represented in the higher echelons of many companies, and more notably in politics, with only 12 per cent of our TDs being women. Women who want to succeed in student or national politics have to fight harder than their male counterparts, overcome stereotypes and deal with the fact that you have to appear tougher than you really are. With more confident female graduates leaving our colleges every year, I believe it is only a matter of time before the male-dominated professions get the shake-up that they so desperately need.