Departmental Strategies

Wednesday, 18 September 2024

Questions (608)

Carol Nolan

Question:

608. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if, concerning a press release (details supplied) issued by his Department relating to an online survey which was advertised in late August 2024 regarding the next national strategy for women and girls, he will address concerns that although his Department states it ‘wants to gather the views of members of the public to make sure a broad range of opinions and experiences are included when considering what are the key issues, and how best to deal with the key challenges facing women and girls today’, there are no questions relating to women and girls specifically; if is attention has been drawn to the fact that the survey can be accessed and completed multiple times by a single user; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36406/24]

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Written answers

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are currently running an online survey as part of the public consultation to inform the successor strategy to the National Strategy for Women and Girls. IPSOS B&A have been contracted to carry out the consultation for the Department and have helped design the online survey, which seeks to gather opinions and perspectives from the public on a range of issues which are pertinent to the interests of women and girls. The deadline for responses on the survey has been extended to the 14th October 2024. There is also the option to submit a more comprehensive response directly to IPSOS B&A.

In total, there are 15 questions contained in the main section of the survey. Additionally, there are several demographic questions that individual respondents are presented with at the end of the survey in order to facilitate an analysis of data gathered.

The survey asks respondents to consider socio-economic equality between women and men; the physical and mental health of women and girls; visibility of women and girls in public society; the accessibility of the workplace to women; domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; and a range of other themes which relate to the welfare and interests of women and girls. The survey questions were informed by the priorities of the outgoing strategy but also reflect more current concerns.

Respondents are also presented with questions regarding their perception of gender equality, which is defined by the United Nations and the European Institute for Gender Equality as 'equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys'.