Irish women's poverty gets U.N. audience

By Nicole Duarte

published by the International Herald Tribune UPI, July 18, 2005

UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., July 13 (UPI) -- Delegations from Ireland are discussing charges that women have been left in poverty because of non-compliance with the women's discrimination treaty.

Ireland fielded questions Wednesday from the committee for Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women about its most recent periodic reports as well as Monday's testimony from a coalition of human rights groups and women's organizations.

The Emerald Isle has the second-highest per capita gross domestic product in the European Union. Yet, women's poverty persists despite passage of equality legislation, said coalition members, because of inadequate funding and lingering discrimination not yet addressed by Irish law. For marginalized women, sexism compounds hardships imposed by other forms of discrimination.

In her presentation Monday, Katherine Zappone of the Irish Human Rights Commission said, "There has been significant growth in women's poverty over the last decade and more women than men are poor in Ireland ."

Both conditions violate, among others, CEDAW Article 3, which requires member nations to use "appropriate measures, including legislation" to advance equality for women in social, political, economic and cultural spheres.

Ireland 's report to the CEDAW committee identified its commitment to reducing the rate of "consistent poverty" to 2 percent by 2007. However, poverty in Ireland , especially women's poverty, is on the rise.

In its own submission to the CEDAW committee, the Irish Human Rights Commission said that in 1994, 11.6 percent of women and 10.6 percent of men lived below the poverty line, while by 2001, those numbers had jumped to 23.2 percent of women and 19.4 percent of men.

Zappone said the most recent data, collected in 2003, shows women's poverty steady at 23 percent of a growing population.

The IHRC report also showed that in 2001, 4.9 percent of women lived in consistent poverty as compared to 3.5 percent of men. The Irish poverty line is drawn at 60 percent of median income, whereas consistent poverty includes living on 60 percent of median income and experiencing one of eight deprivation factors. Median income, as reported in the 2003 EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions was about $9,485.

Partnered with the reduction of consistent poverty, the Irish government was also working toward 60 percent employment participation by women. According to the Irish Central Statistics Office, the 2004 employment rate for women was 55.8 percent, but women make up 80 percent of the part-time work force.

Work and care-giving leave little time for training, or additional education. To combat this, the Irish government has enacted the Gender Equality Measure, which earmarked $43.2 million dollars for programs, like job training, that move women toward equality.

Another initiative, the Irish Homemaker's Scheme provides women with a small weekly allowance and pension benefits. Women registered for the program can receive up to about $190 each week. Also, in 2001, the Irish government legislated equality between part and full-time employees.

Even so, Alpha Connolly, chief executive officer of the IHRC, said the sums allocated for the Measure and Homemaker's Scheme are not enough, and inadequate government recognition for caring work puts single parents and homemakers at an additional disadvantage.

Responsibility for childcare falls disproportionately to women. According to the Irish Central Statistics Office, in 2004, less than 1 percent of men described their occupation as "caring for family/home." A full 39 percent of women perform caring work as their sole occupation. Of these women, nearly half lived in poverty in 2001 and caregivers also account for approximately one-third of people in consistent poverty.

The Irish government introduced several pieces of equality legislation within the last several years, to praise from the Women's Human Rights Alliance and other groups. However, none of these measures account for the longevity of past discrimination.

Without having been a part of the employed workforce, older women are not eligible for regular public pensions and must subsist on smaller, "non-contributory pensions," putting them at a high risk for consistent poverty.

According to the IHRC, in 2001, half of women over the age of 65 lived below the poverty line, while 4.4 percent of older women lived in consistent poverty. To supplement the pensions of these marginalized women, the Irish government has introduced personal retirement savings accounts into the pension system.

Travelers, an indigenous ethnic minority in Ireland , also suffer disproportionately severe poverty. Margaret Tumelty, of the Irish rights organization, Banulacht, said in her remarks Monday, "The CEDAW committee requested in 1999 that a detailed analysis of women's poverty be conducted, particularly in relation to vulnerable groups. This has not occurred, and impacts on the state's ability to monitor the situation of Traveler women or assess the outcomes of any policies aimed at addressing the situation."

She also said the dismal conditions in which Traveler women find themselves violate several CEDAW articles. The 2002 Census revealed that more than half of Travelers had only a primary school education, as compared to 18 percent nationally, adding, 63 percent of Traveler children under 15 years of age leave school early.

"Low educational status and poor literacy levels reduce their ability to participate in social economic and political life," said Tumelty.

Traveler families must also struggle against racism to continue their nomadic traditions. A 2002 Housing Act criminalizes unauthorized camping on public and private land. Thus, Traveler families who cannot find accommodation in inadequate facilities maintained by the state, now face jail time for illegal camping. The 1998 Traveler Accommodation Act mandates adequate housing for Traveler families.