The Government has been accused of "paying lip service to the position of women in Irish society" because of its record on childcare and paid parental leave.
Ms Ivana Bacik, the Labour Party European election candidate for Dublin, today said the Government "hasn't got the political will to radically improve the position of women in Ireland. It pays lip service to critical issues such as childcare, paid parental leave and the tax burden on the low paid."
She told delegates at the Wella International Women's Day launch in Dublin that recent Government decisions "directly undermine the position of some of the most vulnerable women in Irish society."
Ms Bacik said she supported wholeheartedly a manifesto published today by the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI), saying the plan was a "radical call to action".
"Irish women are more likely to suffer from poverty and work in low paid jobs than men."
And a historical under representation in politics and at higher levels of the public and private sector has not yet been addressed, said Ms Bacik.
The conference was also addressed by Government chief whip, Ms Mary Hanafin.
As part of the series of Women's Day events, the ICTU is hosting a conference on how to bridge the pay gap between the genders. Speakers include Mr Niall Crowley, ceo of the Equality Authority, Mr David Begg, ICTU general secretary, and Ms Helen Russell, research officer at the ESRI.