Speech by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the Women in Business Networking Event, Belfast

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Good evening everyone and thanks for the invitation to join you all.

From talking to some of you I’ve got a good sense of the challenges still facing women in business in Northern Ireland, as well as the many opportunities ahead, and the difference you are all making.

Roseann, thank you for your leadership and for creating a dynamic space for entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders to think creatively about how to do things in new and better ways. 8,000 members is a remarkable statement about the strength of Women in Business and the positive changes you are shaping.

An entrepreneur takes a leap of faith when she starts a new business. A leap into the unknown. An act of faith in the idea being developed and presented to the public.

Each of your stories is an example of how 8,000 leaps of faith can combine to break barriers and change what is possible.

Your courage is contagious and it inspires others to follow in your footsteps. The benefits are felt across society, inspiring other women to take similar leaps of faith.

This is my first time in Belfast since April when I attended the events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

We were reminded once again of the extraordinary dividends when divided communities took a leap of faith to break out of a seemingly never-ending cycle of bitterness and recrimination.

Women helped make that peace and have done so much since then to make that peace last, to build on it, and to make sure that all communities share in its benefits. Unfortunately, this is something that has been too often obscured, as both Secretary Clinton and I emphasised in our speeches at Queen’s University.

The Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition helped shape the Good Friday Agreement, but the tragedy is that this did not translate into significant representation of women when the power-sharing institutions were established.

Professor Eileen Evason, who sadly passed away earlier this year, put it best when she recognised that the women of Northern Ireland had to carry the bulk of the strain and hardship produced by Northern Ireland’s political and economic problems over many decades. This was something they did, as she said, ‘despite the added burden of their oppression.’

The good news is that with each passing year, women are breaking down barriers in business, politics, sport, the media, and every other part of life.

The arc of history bends towards progress and I believe historians will look back on these decades as the period in which true equality between women and men was achieved.

We all have a responsibility – especially those of us in leadership positions - to champion women leaders in business, in politics, and in every walk of life, every step of the way.

Equality is not only a fundamental right; it’s also better and smarter for everyone. This is something that everyone here knows, but it’s now a message that is being more widely shared and understood.

We all know that the companies with the greatest gender equality and diversity are often the best performing. That’s not a coincidence, it’s a correlation.

We’ve seen a significant rise in the number of women entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland in recent years, but we have further to go. We still do not have full parity in the North or in the South, and there are glaring gaps at the leadership level that are obvious to anyone who looks at team photographs.

As Taoiseach I am determined to support innovators and provide opportunities so that women in business will grow and expand.

A virtuous alliance between government and the private sector is ensuring that more women are represented on the boards and senior leadership teams of public and private companies.

Significant progress has been achieved in the Republic in recent years. All listed companies now have an average female representation of 32% at Board level and the figure is improving every year. Our state boards have female representatives above 40%.

Of course, the real breakthroughs are being made by women themselves - managing and leading companies and organisations right across the economy.

We need more organisations like Women In Business so that more women start and grow their own businesses and develop their careers, including taking senior leadership positions.

Your 8,000 members are all taking leaps of faith, stepping into the unknown, and conquering the frontier of gender inequality.

This is bringing real results to business and the economy. You are helping to create a more inclusive and prosperous society, both here in Northern Ireland and beyond.

I am someone who came of age and made my way in the world after the Good Friday Agreement – so are many of you.

This generation is shaping the future of Northern Ireland, reimagining what Northern Ireland will look like for the next 25 years.

You are the trailblazers and success stories who are inspiring others by your example. Thank you for your leaps of faith. You are creating a more dynamic economy and a more prosperous and peaceful Northern Ireland.