If we are to advance equality, it is crucial that we amend our equality laws to include socio-economic status as a ground of discrimination. This is a central message from a conference held today by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, in Dublin Castle, on Achieving Equality at Work: Promoting Socio-Economic Equality in Employment.
Focusing on how we promote socio-economic equality in accessing and progressing in work, the conference highlighted the manner in which socio-economic discrimination can affect a person’s ability to secure decent work. This discrimination can push low- income households further into poverty through reduced access to education, employment, healthcare and housing.
The conference gathered public and private employers and employees, civil society organisations and rights-holder groups, trade unions, policy-makers and researchers, to discuss how to promote more inclusive workplaces, free from discrimination.
Despite near full employment in Ireland, groups facing high and systemic labour market barriers remain unemployed, or underemployed. Alongside this, there are skills and labour shortages in many sectors of our economy. People with a disadvantaged socio-economic status often face discrimination, which can result in exclusion from both services and employment, exacerbating income and wealth inequalities. The voices of those who experience this discrimination, because of indicators of socio-economic status, such as address, home ownership, source of income, accent, education or past history of employment, must be heard.
This is an opportunity for employers to expand their workforce, to cast their net widely and without bias when considering new employment groups. The conference today showed what we can do to progress the solutions to equality in the labour force and in our individual workplaces.
Commission Director Deirdre Malone said:
“When people are forced to live in consistent poverty, sometimes for generations, their ability to exercise all other human rights is significantly eroded. Lone parents, people with disabilities, Traveller and Roma, people from other ethnic minority or immigrant backgrounds, and other vulnerable groups all experience unique barriers to employment.”
“All of us have our part to play in promoting socio-economic equality in employment. We need to consider the policies and supports required to lessen the barriers and discriminations faced by many as they navigate the world of work.”
The Conference on Achieving Equality at Work: Promoting Socio-Economic Equality in Employment, is taking place in the Hibernia Suite in Dublin Castle on Thursday 9 May, 2024. Registration opens at 8.30am and the Conference will begin at 9.15am.
ENDS/
For further information, please contact:
Sarah Clarkin, IHREC Communications Manager,
01 852 9641 / 087 468 7760
sarah.clarkin@ihrec.ie
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Editor’s Note
You can access the Conference programme by clicking on this link:
https://www.ihrec.ie//app/uploads/2024/05/Programme_With-Bios_Single-Page_V1.pdf
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is an independent public body, appointed by the President and directly accountable to the Oireachtas. The Commission has a statutory remit set out under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act (2014) to protect and promote human rights and equality in Ireland, and build a culture of respect for human rights, equality and intercultural understanding in the State.