Increase in Proportion of Women in Senior Roles Found in First Year of Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter
The first annual report of the Women in Finance Charter was launched this week on Wednesday, 22 June 2023.
The Charter is an initiative that seeks to improve female representation in financial services firms operating in Ireland. The launch of the first annual report is an important milestone in achieving those aims, and it highlights the significant progress that has been made since the Charter was established in 2022.
Compiled by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), the findings in the report show that the proportion of women in senior roles at financial services firms increased in 2022:
- Among the signatories, female representation on boards increased to 37%, up from 32% the prior year.
- On executive committees, the figure increased to 35%, up from 32% the prior year.
The most commonly identified barrier to improving gender balance was firms having a low number of female applicants - almost two-thirds (63%) identified this as among the main barriers. Low turnover in senior management was identified among the main barriers by 56% of respondents.
As a signatory to the Charter, Matheson is committed to setting targets for increased female representation to achieve better gender balance and a more inclusive working environment. Matheson partners Tara Doyle and Maireadh Dale were delighted to attend the launch event with Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Dr Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD.
Commenting, Matheson partner and head of the firm's Asset Management and Investment Funds Department, Tara Doyle, said:
"We are a majority female firm and proud of the opportunities we provide for women to advance in our firm. We continue to work to ensure that our gender diversity is reflected at all levels of our business and the Charter represents a further step towards achieving this aim."
Maireadh Dale, partner in the Finance and Capital Markets Department, Matheson, commented:
"At Matheson, we are focused on creating an environment that is equally welcoming to all and in which women are supported to advance in their careers. Our female / male partner gender ratio was ranked the third most gender-diverse in continental Europe, and first in Ireland, by The Lawyer in its 2022 European 100 report. Increasing female representation is critical not only for women, but for the future of the financial services industry and it is heartening to see the progress that has been made since the Charter's inception."
At Matheson, we believe in gender diversity at all levels of our business, and our diversity, equity and inclusion commitment ties in well with the aims of the Charter. We have a range of initiatives under our Impactful Business Programme that are focused on creating an equitable environment in which women are supported to advance into senior leadership roles. We are proud to be one of 65 signatories to Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter, further underlining our commitment to taking action to accelerate meaningful progress.
For further information, read Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter: Annual Report 2023.
Pictured (L-R): Matheson partner Maireadh Dale, Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Dr Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD and Matheson partner Tara Doyle.
