International Women's Day Event 2023

The event opened with a welcome address from Imelda Reynolds CDir, President, IoD Ireland, and Chair, Beauchamps LLP, who reflected on the theme of International Women’s Day 2023, #EmbraceEquity, and how significant it was to be discussing the area of gender pay gap at the event. Imelda also commented on how diversity is not just the right thing to do, it is the prudent thing to do when it comes down to a company’s performance.  

The event included a notable line up of speakers, who discussed their own experiences of reporting, highlighting some key takeaways and perspectives that were valuable for all attendees.  The panel of speakers included: Eleanor Nash, Chief People Officer, An Post; Rosemary Keogh, Chief Executive Officer, Irish Wheelchair Association; Sandra Masterson Power, Partner and Head of the Employment and Benefits Group, Beauchamps LLP; and moderated by Áine Myler, Chief Executive Officer, Charities Institute Ireland. During the course of the panel discussion, key themes were discussed, such as the role of leadership in promoting further diversity and inclusion, the importance of representation in senior roles, and the positive impact diversity can have on how a business is run.  The negative brand and public relations implications of failing to comply with gender pay gap reporting were also discussed, and the importance of preparation for reporting was cited as a key. The panel also included an engaging Q&A session with the audience, with some great insights and questions being shared by the attendees. 

The event was closed by Caroline Spillane CDir, Chief Executive Officer, IoD Ireland, who reflected on some of the key elements from the discussion. Caroline noted again the value that a diverse board and organisation can have on a company’s success, as well as acknowledging the importance of preparedness when it comes to gender pay gap reporting. 

The reporting requirement for the gender pay gap compliance started at the end of 2022 for organisations with 250 or more employees. This will extend to organisations with +150 employees by the end of 2024 and +50 employees by the end of 2025.