Newstalk's Ciara Kelly rejects narrative 'women are victims' following gender gap survey

"No country in the world affords women the same opportunities as men in the workforce," this is according to a new report from the World Bank, which found the global gender gap was far wider than previously thought.

Newstalk Breakfast host, Ciara Kelly responded to the survey reported in the Irish Examiner saying it feeds the narrative that women are victims.

The survey found that it costs €12,000 extra a year to be a woman in Ireland for instance with menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, reproductive health and cosmetics all contributing to this figure.

Ciara said: "I dislike intensely the narrative of women as victims. Some of this stuff is a choice. I think there's about €3,000 in there for aesthetics, or certainly a couple of grand in there for aesthetics like botox and fillers. Most women don't use botox and don't use fillers, so that cost can be gone.

"They also include things like fertility costs and they're ascribing them to women for couple's attending fertility. I think there's something odd in that they would think that that's the woman's cost. I don't think fertility, for a couple who are having infertility problems, is all to do with the woman.

"I think the €12,000 is a little inflated. Are there societal norms and societal expectations around women's appearance? Yes there are. Do we have to buy into it as women? We don't. Do we choose to? lots of us do. I'm the one spending the money and buying the makeup and all that.

"I get tired, and I resent and I reject the notion that women are just these constant put upon, poor things as a woman. I don't want to be viewed like that, I don't want to view myself like that, I don't want other women to view themselves like that, and I don't want young women to view themselves like that. Let's take back our power and talk about choice. Choose to do your nails and your hair and your hair extensions and your botox if you want to but recognise it as a choice. Don't see it, do it and then say, 'Oh poor me.' There's something in that that doesn't sit right with me."