The vast majority of Irish people want to see more women in management, according to new research commissioned to mark a year-long equality campaign.
A total of 86 per cent of Irish people think we need more women in management, and more people with disabilities and more women in the Dáil, according to a Eurobarometer survey published to mark the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All.
The EU Council and the European Parliament have established a number of objectives for the year ahead which include raising awareness of rights under equality legislation, promoting participation of under-represented groups in all sectors, and supporting social cohesion.
The campaign comes at a time when there is evidence of significant levels of discrimination in Ireland. Research by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that almost 400,000 people said in 2005 that they had been discriminated against in the previous two years.
The Equality Authority, the national implementing body for the campaign in Ireland, yesterday published a strategy of actions to tackle inequality.
The group's chief executive, Niall Crowley, said the strategy sought to reinvigorate and expand the commitment and ambitions of all sectors working towards a more equal Ireland.
"In a context of significant and persistent inequalities, the strategy will stimulate and support practical action to address situations of inequality and experiences of discrimination across the nine grounds covered by equality legislation," he said.
"This action will involve change from individuals, and within the systems and practices of institutions. It will involve an explicit and enhanced commitment from key sectors and interests in Irish society to achieving full equality in practice for all."
The nine grounds covered by equality legislation are gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion and membership of the Traveller community.
Actions to be taken include funding non-governmental organisations to develop projects to address "burning" equality issues. These include: the role of the State in supporting caring; gender conditioning in men; provision of accommodation to meet the needs of lone parents; partnership rights for same-sex couples; and integration for minority ethnic groups and the emergence of an integrated intercultural society.
A range of public awareness campaigns will also take place during the year. They will focus on work-life balance, ageism, cultural diversity in the workplace and people with disabilities.
These campaigns, Mr Crowley said, should contribute to an enhanced awareness for individuals of the value of diversity in the make-up of Irish society.
In the area of institutional change, the strategy seeks to support the ability of organisations to promote equality and accommodate diversity.