Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
13/10/2018
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On the 9th July 2018 at The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Arts at Trinity College, Dublin, Minister of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan TD launched Gender Equality in Practice in Irish Theatre.
The policy documents crafted to encompass the individual workings and requirements of ten theatre organisations were a result of one and half year’s work. Gender Equality in Practice in Irish Theatre began after #WakingTheFeminists drew international attention to the gender inequality that then existed within Irish theatre. This cultural phenomenon encouraged the participating theatre organisations to consider their own record in programming and supporting women within the sector and identify processes that would ensure gender parity and dignity at work in the future.
The participating Theatre Organisations are:
o The Abbey Theatre
o Cork Midsummer Festival
o Corn Exchange Theatre Company
o Druid Theatre
o Everyman Palace Theatre
o Dublin Theatre Festival
o Fishamble: The New Play Company
o The Gate Theatre
o The Lir National Academy for Dramatic Art
o Rough Magic Theatre Company
Gender Policy Statements – to be launched
Each gender policy statement has been ratified by the boards of the organisations and each organisation has undertaken to measure their progress against their published targets on an annual basis using the #WakingTheFeminists Gender Counts guidelines.
Included in the list of measures are the following
18. Gender blind readings for plays
19. Unconscious bias training for all staff
20. Achieve equality of gender of board members
21. 50% of new play commissions to be allocated to women writers
22. Gender blind casting
23. Addition of Dignity at Work clauses to employees charter
24. Re-examination of the female canon
25. Work with third level institutions to encourage gender parity in areas that do not reflection equality of gender.
26. To achieve gender balance in programming within a 5 year period.
In her address Minister Madigan said that “The 10 theatre companies involved in the working group have come together to demonstrate the power of collaboration within the Cultural sector in Ireland, to share expertise, support and learnings and enhance the possibilities for women in the Irish theatre sector. It is vital that women’s voices are allowed to reverberate on stage, across the cultural sector and across society as a whole.”
“I hope that these statements will build dialogue across the cultural sector and beyond. The theatre organisations here today are pioneering what I hope will be standard practice across the sector, and across society as a whole. I am delighted that my Department has supported such a worthwhile initiative and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of this” Minister Madigan concluded.

Original Link – https://www.chg.gov.ie/minister-josepha-madigan-launches-gender-equality-policies-of-ten-irish-theatre-organisations/
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Gender Equality Information from the Department of Justice and Equality
13/10/2018
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What is Gender Equality?
Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society, including in economic participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviours, aims and needs of women and men are equally valued and favoured.

Gender Equality Division
o works towards true equality between women and men in Ireland
o carries out specific commitments in the Programme for Government on gender equality
o oversees that the National Women’s Strategy is carried out
o monitors and reports on national and international commitments on gender equality, such as the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

Our work includes improving female representation at work, in politics, in public appointments and on company boards, tackling violence against women and girls, and engaging with women to strengthen their voice in government.
Please visit our website www.genderequality.ie where you will find more information about what we do.

Government policy on gender equality
Government policy in this area includes:
o providing a framework of laws that provide for equal treatment of women and men
o the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020, which sets out the Government’s priorities to advance the situation of women in Irish society.
o the gender equality operation is co-funded by the Irish Government as part of the European Social Fund Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020. More general information on this training initiative can be found on www.genderequality.ie

Contact details:
Address:Gender Equality Division
Department of Justice and Equality
2nd Floor, Bishop’s Square
Redmond’s Hill
Dublin 2
D02 TD99

Phone (main reception):+ 353 1 479-0200
Lo-Call:1890 555-509
Email:genderequality@justice.ie