Gender pay gap in Ireland getting worse, says summit

The State’s gender pay gap is getting worse while Irish women with children continue to fare badly on the pay scale compared to their male colleagues, according to the Women’s Executive Network (WXN).

Founder of the annual WXN summit Pamela Jeffrey says the Irish gender pay gap stands at 14.4 per cent and is getting worse according to EU statistics.

Ms Jeffrey told The Irish Times she wanted to create a networking community for women where they could share ideas with like-minded people.

"WXN came to Ireland in 2008 and this is our third year hosting the award ceremony," she said. "When I started WXN in Canada in 1997, there were no forums for women to share and discuss ideas with each other. It's been hugely successful and we've received lots of good feedback about our events.

“We started WXN to encourage women to excel in leadership. Back then, there were so few women on director boards, or as CEOs. But with the awards, women in Ireland have role models to look up to.”

The aim of the summit is to promote women in business and to tackle gender imbalances in the workplace, she says.

The summit is held on an annual basis in the Republic of Ireland and Canada, and is due to be launched in London in September.

Chief executive of Enterprise Ireland, Julie Sinnamon, was among those honoured at the event, with awards allocated to women who had excelled in fields such as the arts, entertainment and the public sector.

Philomena Lee was named as a trailblazer for her work with the Philomena Project which raises awareness on the issues of forced adoption in Ireland and abroad.

Full list of winners:

Anne Anderson, Irish Ambassador to the United States

Bronwyn Brophy Vice President, Early Technologies, Covidien Group, Medtronic EMEA

Rosaleen Burke, MSVP Quality Assurance, Supply Chain and International, Boston Scientific

Anne Marie Caulfield CEO, Caulfield McCarthy Group

Dorothy Cross, Artist, Kerlin Gallery

Helen Dooley, Group General Counsel, AIB

Veronica Dunne, Soprano and Founding Member, The Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition

Bernadette Gallagher, Chairman Pembase Holdings

Ellvena Graham, Head of Ulster Bank NI & Managing Director of SME Banking, Ulster Bank Group

Christine Heffernan, Corporate Affairs Director, Tesco Ireland

Caroline Keeling, CEO, Keelings

Philomena Lee, Campaigner & Founder, The Philomena Project

Judge Fidelma Macken, SC

Suzanne McAuley, Producer, Octagon Films

Nicola McCracken, HR Director, Talent Management & Reward, CRH plc

Fionnuala Meehan, Managing Director, SMB Sales, North and Central Europe, Google Ireland

Marie Moynihan, Chief Diversity Officer & VP, Talent, Dell

Joanne O’Riordan, youth campaigner

Anne O’Leary, CEO, Vodafone Ireland

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan

Louise Phelan, VP, Global Operations EMEA, PayPal

Louise Richardson, Principal and Vice Chancellor, University of St Andrews

Julie Sharp, Head of Group Human Resources, Bank of Ireland

Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland

Siobhan Talbot, Managing Director, Glanbia Plc

Hall of Fame inductees (have been in the Top 25 twice previously):

Cathriona Hallahan, MD, Microsoft Ireland

Ann Keenan, Head of Group Human Resources, DCC plc