AQW 17159/22-27
Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down
Tabled Date: 22/10/2024
Answered On Date: 28/10/2024
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the work his Department is currently undertaking to address gender inequality in the workplace.
Answer:
The Department for Communities has responsibility for the Gender Equality Strategy to which my officials have provided input. Work being carried out by my Department to address gender inequality in the workplace includes:- Assessing financial childcare support for those wishing to participate in our skills and education programmes. Funding a number of female-specific training programmes via the Skills Fund. These provide upskilling opportunities in leadership and management for those currently employed and work placement opportunities to enable access for those not in employment. Currently 250 places are available to eligible participants across the North. A "Men into Healthcare" programme is being developed by North West Regional College to support more males to enter the health and social care workforce. The Women Returners Access Programme (WRAP) within Step Up has been created to bring women back into the workforce by refreshing skills and building confidence through the provision of a range of flexible interventions, creating progression pathways including employment. My Department is also providing support to a small number of young males considering employment opportunities within education. Invest NI is planning the next competitive call for the Ambition to Grow Supporting Women Programme. This Programme was shaped in partnership with Women in Business NI (WIBNI) and aims to offer up to £30k of support to up to 20 innovative export focused women-led businesses. The support will include grant monies for market development, technical, trade and job creation and will be complimented by a series of Leadership Peer Networks. Invest NI are working alongside Enterprise Ireland and in partnership with Intertrade Ireland to deliver an All-Island Entrepreneurship Programme of support. This will be funded by the Government of Ireland Shared Island monies. WIBNI will be able to apply for funding under this initiative towards their Grow It Programmes for 2024/2025. The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) has produced information, advice and guidance within the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) sphere as many social issues with a gender dimension now feature heavily as workplace issues and to this extent the LRA has, in partnership with bodies such as NIC ICTU, the Equality Commission NI, CIPDNI and others, produced guidance on: sexual harassment in the workplace, domestic violence as a workplace issue, respectful conversations, and other gender-related material on issues such as menopause in the workplace and inclusive recruitment via flexible work practice advice working with bodies such as Timely Careers. The LRA also facilitates the Workplace Subgroup Forum for the TEO strategy group on ending violence against women and girls (EVAWAG) and this group met for the first time last week specifically to address strategic issues around what can be done via workplaces to eliminate violence against women and girls.
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