Four out of 10 female executives in Galway believe they have missed out on a raise or promotion due to their gender, according to a new survey conducted by Galway Chamber.
The survey also revealed that a further 46 percent of those questioned believed that their gender had also played a role in their missing out on a key assignment, with 56 percent saying they believed their gender had impacted a chance to get ahead in their career.
The survey was conducted ahead of yesterday’s International Women’s Day on March 8, and saw more than 100 Galway-based female corporate leaders and executives surveyed regarding gender and the workplace.
One in five female executives believed that their gender had resulted in missing out on one or more opportunities over the last year. While three out of eight female executives feel that men and women are not treated equally in their current workplace.
Compared to 2022 results, there were minor changes to questions like ‘How would you characterise the level of gender equality in Galway based on your personal experiences?’, all of those surveyed in both annual surveys agreed that improvement was needed, with 64 percent in 2022 saying that it was, ‘positive, but more progress needed’, compared to 61 percent in the 2023 survey.
Those who picked ‘Ok’ in as a response made up 27 percent in 2022 compared to 29 percent in 2023 and the remaining 11 percent in 2023 saying gender equality in Galway is ‘poor’ compared to nine percent in 2022.
Although the results show some stark findings, there were some positive results with almost two out of three (64 percent ) female executives say they have seen a rise in the number of female corporate leaders in their company or organisation in recent times. With 62% of female executives also believe that gender equality has improved in Ireland in the last year.
Also positive were the 92% of female executives who said they believe women have achieved more equal rights in the workplace over the last 10/15 years, up from 86% who were of that view a year ago.
Speaking in reaction to the survey, Galway Chamber President Dermot Nolan said, “There is very clearly still a lot of work to be done across Galway to better promote gender equality in the workplace. That so many female executives believe their gender has played a role in missing out on a raise, or a promotion or a chance to get ahead is not acceptable. This simply shouldn’t be happening in this day and age.
“The onus is on all people in leadership positions to help address this and bring about more equitable workplaces. The Galway corporate community needs to strive to ensure that gender never negatively impacts on anyone’s career advancement or the professional opportunities available to them. This is in the interest of everyone working in Galway to promote and I hope by creating more awareness of the issues facing female executives we all as a community will take further concrete action to level the playing field.”
