WorkEqual launches campaign to improve workplace gender equality

Dress for Success Dublin rebrands as WorkEqual with focus on supporting women to find employment.

Dress for Success Dublin today rebranded as WorkEqual to support women looking for work and those looking to progress in their careers. Commenting today, WorkEqual CEO Angela Smith, said:

"Dress for Success has made a huge difference to thousands of women over the past decade. The focus has been to equip women to enter or return to the workforce. WorkEqual will bolster this work with significantly enhanced initiatives aimed at helping women reach their full potential."

Speaking further on the campaign Smith said;

“Over the past decade, we have developed into a national organisation with over 40 expert volunteers, providing a range of services for women seeking employment. We are proud to have supported more than 3,000 women in total, 60% of whom have gone on to secure a job or return to education. “Under our new brand, WorkEqual, we will bolster this work with mentoring initiatives, bespoke training programmes, and one to one coaching. We’re also very excited to now advocate for women generally within the employment sphere at national level. We have the expertise on the ground to advise policy-makers on how we can ensure men and women are equally valued in employment.”

WorkEqual will continue to provide all its existing services, including confidence coaching, interview and CV preparation, mentoring and styling services. The rebrand of the charity is taking place to reflect the expanding range of employment services for women across Ireland, who are seeking to enter or re-enter the workplace. The month-long campaign officially begins on Monday, 1st November, and will include a number of key events and actions taking place across the month. Events will include a special meeting of the WorkEqual All-Party Oireachtas Group on Equal Pay Day on Monday, 8th November – the day on which women in Ireland effectively stop earning, relative to men, because of the gender pay gap. A flagship seminar will take place on Thursday, 25th November, featuring international guest speakers, showcasing best practice in public childcare provision. There will also be a panel discussion on the challenges and solutions from an Irish perspective, with panellists including: The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD; Frances Byrne, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Early Childhood Ireland; Mark Paul, Business Affairs Correspondent with The Irish Times; and Sonya Lennon, founder of WorkEqual.