MOST people think women must overperform to get the same recognition as men in the workplace, according to new research.

IReach Insights research found 54pc of adults believe this.

Just 18pc of those surveyed said their workplace would be running events or activities for International Women’s Day today.

A total of 64pc of adults think women carry a huge guilt burden when they take time off to look after sick children, according to the findings.

They also show 42pc of women believe having children affected their career path.

Susan Dwyer, founder of consultancy company Rise Up, said 24pc of senior leadership roles were now occupied by women, compared with 76pc of men.

“We all know women make great leaders, this is not up for debate,” she said.

“It’s about what companies are doing to nurture, develop and retain this talent. This is what we need to focus on.”

Moira Grassick, chief operations officer at Peninsula Ireland, said this year’s International Women’s Day came as the country marked 50 years since the marriage bar was lifted.

“That’s right – it was just five decades ago when women were prohibited from working once they entered into marriage,” she said. “Unless they were a teacher or nurse, married women were forced to retire.

“This may be difficult to comprehend – especially as for many of us, this will be within the timeframe of our lives. 

“But now, five decades on, the landscape couldn’t be much more different.”

She said we’d come on in leaps and bounds from the once widely held belief that a woman’s place was in the home.

Female participation in the labour force had reached record levels in the last number of years, she added.

“And not only that, representation of women on the boards of Ireland's 20 biggest listed companies has reached 30pc up from just 18pc three years ago,” she said.

"Perhaps – and hopefully - soon, we’ll hit the 50pc mark which would indicate true equality in business alongside the gender pay gap. That is the differential between the average pay of males and females within an organisation ,which is currently estimated at an average of 14.2pc.”

She said there was still some way to go.

Meanwhile, Labour workers’ rights spokesperson Marie Sherlock called on the government to support her party’s bill to provide up to 20 days’ paid leave for women who experienced early miscarriage.

The bill allows 10 days’ leave for fertility treatment.

“We celebrate the progress that has been made by women in Ireland but just as importantly we must reflect on the enormous challenges women in this country face,” she said.