Background to the Research

• Women's Working Lives Survey (WWLS) was commissioned by the Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland in 1990. The survey was designed to: (1) identify factors which determine whether or not women participate in paid work and how the unpaid work undertaken by women in the home influences their involvement in the labour market; (2) record the type of paid work women have done and do, as well as their attitudes and experiences of employment.

Research Approach

• 1000 women were interviewed who lived in private households and were aged between 18 and 65. The sample was drawn from the 1990 Register of Electors using a 2 stage proportionate random sample. The interview took a semi-structured approach, including some prompt items
  

Main Findings

• The 1988 Labour Force Survey indicated that the Northern Ireland labour market is segregated by gender - four out of five women worked in services, but only 18% worked in construction, manufacturing and agriculture/energy. Only 8% of workers in clerical and related jobs were men.
  
  
• The 1989 New Earnings Survey showed that women's average gross hourly earnings were 78.6% of men's.
  
  
• Although 93% of women thought that housework should be shared by partners, 71% of women with a partner were responsible for all or most of the housework. Having children did not influence this pattern.
  
  
• Most of the women who shifted from working full-time to part-time did so because of childcare issues. 20% of women with other caring responsibilities thought this had affected their working lives.
  
  
• Employees' terms and conditions tended to hinder caring responsibilities: only 20% of working women had flexi-time arrangements available, and only 8% had access to career break schemes. Half of working women received full salary during maternity leave, and 15% were not entitled to any maternity leave (29% of women working part-time). There was also a lack of awareness about maternity leave entitlement. 35% of women in employment belonged to an occupational pension scheme.
  
  
• Training helps to break down segregation and encourage career advancement. However, 64% of part-time workers, and 40% of full-time workers had no formal training. 60% would welcome further training, especially those aged 31-40.
  
  
• 91% of all women had never refused or avoided promotion. Only 32% of women had ever been promoted. Although 64% of women in work would welcome a promotion, this falls with the number of children.
  
  
• 64% of all women strongly agreed, and a further 30% agreed, that women should have equal opportunities in getting jobs and promotion.