What works in Ireland

Ireland has implemented multiple evidence-based policies to advance gender equality and economic inclusion. Ireland's Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 created a legally binding pay-equity evidence base, with 500+ companies disclosing a mean gender pay gap of 12.6% and median of 8.37% in the first reporting cycle. Ireland Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 conditions party state funding on gender-candidate quotas (30%, raised to 40% in 2023), resulting in women's Dáil representation rising from 15.1% in 2011 to 25.3% in 2024—a 10.2 percentage-point increase—while women candidates increased by 90%. Ireland has also deployed industry-government partnerships like Fast Track to IT to provide accessible ICT skills training for long-term unemployed and disadvantaged job seekers, and Going for Growth to support women business owners through peer-led mentorship, though quantified outcomes for these programmes are not documented in the available evidence.