Workplace Wellbeing: Women supporting women to get ahead at work
Ailbhe Gerrard, Brookfield Farm, Co Tipperary.
Statistics show that Irish women face barriers in the workplace. Take the 2024 Grant Thornton Women in Business report. It reveals that only 33.5% of senior management roles in Irish businesses are held by women.
Female entrepreneurs are even more disadvantaged. According to Forbes magazine, in 2023 female-founded companies received a mere 2.8% of European venture capital funding.
The outlook in other sectors is equally concerning. For example, 13% of Irish farms are owned by women.
A 2024 University of Bath study found that female academics working in 40 science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) departments across universities in Britain were more likely to be subjected to bullying and harassment than their male counterparts.
Rather than accept these barriers, a new generation of women is challenging them. We speak to five women from all-female organisations:
Eva Woods, 23, from Ongar, Dublin, is the director of Women in Research Ireland (WIRI), a platform for women and minority groups to network and share their research.
She knows how hard it is to be a female researcher. “I didn’t know any scientists at all growing up,” she says.
“If it wasn’t for female teachers putting me forward for women in science events, I don’t know if I’d be where I am today, a PhD researcher specialising in electrophysiology and neuroimaging of Huntington’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.”
Although her undergraduate class had men and women, her field became more male-dominated as she progressed in education. “Less than 30% of professors in Ireland are women, and there are several reasons for this,” she says. “Studies show women have unequal access to funding and mentorship. They are more likely to be subjected to bullying and harassment. And, for too long, they didn’t speak out for fear it would have consequences for their careers.”
This is changing, thanks to organisations like WIRI. “It began when female researchers came together to discuss the experiences they had encountered in their careers as part of an International Women’s Day event in 2017,” says Woods. “Since then, it’s grown in to a series of monthly events, where members can discuss common issues and advocate for change.”
Woods finds the platform a space to troubleshoot. “I can openly discuss my challenges and know that the women in my network will respond by sharing their experiences and offering guidance,” she says. “That support helps me to move forward.”
Ailbhe Gerrard farms at Brookfield Farm in Co Tipperary. The 54-year-old is also a member of Talamh Beo, an organisation founded in 2019 to regenerate Irish agriculture.
Gerrard’s route to farming was roundabout. “I was a project manager and when the recession hit, I retrained in sustainable development,” she says.
“Through that, I got the opportunity to attend the COP climate change conference in Copenhagen in 2009, which put the fear of god in to me. I realised I could continue researching sustainable food production, processing and distribution, or get some land and do it in practice.”
She chose the latter and bought 65 acres on the shores of Lough Derg in 2010. Some 15 years later, she is well aware she is an unusual farmer.
“Being a woman makes me a minority from the off,” she says. “The fact I’m new to farming does, too, as most people take over family farms. Then, there’s the fact I farm in a diverse way, focusing on organic tillage, sheep, forestry, bees and agri-tourism. I sell barley to local beer and whiskey makers. I butcher my sheep locally and sell the meat through my website. I offer people a share of my hive, so they get a regular supply of honey. I make and sell beeswax candles and hand salves, give farm tours, and run an annual Field Exchange festival.”
Because she doesn’t fit the mould of a traditional farmer, Gerrard occasionally experiences hostility from others. The Talamh Beo women’s group acts as a sounding board when this happens.
“I speak to the women there about my experiences, and they are supportive,” she says. “Most of them are like me. We take enjoyment and satisfaction from working the land in a creative way hand in hand with nature.”
Digital marketing and social media consultant Amy O’Sullivan runs AOS Consulting and is the president of Network Ireland, a business group for women. She’s based in Waterford and has been a member of the group since 2017
“I came across an ad for a meeting locally, as I was just starting my business. I thought it might help develop my career,” says the 32-year-old.
Network Ireland has 1,300 members in 17 branches nationwide. It supports women’s personal and professional development through mentoring programmes, its Businesswoman of the Year Awards and monthly branch events.
“These events are an opportunity to meet and network with other members,” says O’Sullivan. “We shine a spotlight on different individual members at each event, so that everyone can showcase who they are and what they have to offer. We have speakers and workshops at the events, too.”
Inevitably, there is discussion about the barriers facing women in business, and O’Sullivan has made breaking these barriers the theme of her presidency.
“Women continue to face so many challenges, from the gender pay gap to balancing work and family responsibilities,” she says. “By highlighting these challenges and advocating for equal opportunity, I hope to empower women to step in to leadership roles and drive a broader cultural shift towards quality in business.”
Membership of Network Ireland has been invaluable to O’Sullivan. “I’ve been able to learn from so many experienced women who have consistently encouraged me to develop my business,” she says. “As women, we rise by lifting each other.”
Women in Technology and Science (WITS) was established in 1990 to support women working in STEM. Its chair, Jean O’Donnell, 46, works in Dublin’s tech sector and was prompted to join by a desire to entice more women into tech.
The Central Statistics Office reports that women hold only 25% of STEM jobs in Ireland. O’Donnell puts this down to what she calls “a leaky pipeline”.
“A growing number of women are entering university STEM courses, but by 35, 50% have changed careers. The lack of women at the leadership level directly results from that pipeline getting narrower and narrower. In WITS, we’re trying to attract more women into STEM, retain them and help them progress their careers.”
Chemist Olivia Sheehan, 46, heads WITS’s Cork branch. She got involved to encourage the next generation of women in STEM.
“We’re holding an event in Penrose Wharf on April 3 to do just that,” she says. “Sisters Doing It For Themselves will be a discussion all about women and what they have done to get where they are today.”
In addition to events like this one, WITS hosts monthly webinars and opportunities for women to meet and network.
What O’Donnell values the most is the support of other women in WITS. “They advocate for me and push me forward,” she says.
Sheehan has found that her self-belief has grown due to her involvement.
“Hearing other women talk about going for jobs and asking for pay increases gives my confidence a boost, too,” she says.
She urges all professional women to join women’s networks. “It doesn’t matter if it’s us or some other organisation,” she says.
“By attending events and meeting people or simply sharing posts on LinkedIn, we can all play a part in supporting women’s progression in the workplace.”
