Forty-one per cent of the Chartered Accountants Ireland members were female at the end of last year while 36% of all UK and Irish accountants were women, the Financial Reporting Council found.
Women represented 32% of the Irish accountancy body’s members in 2008.
Chartered Accountants Ireland chief executive Barry Dempsey said the body had developed its own events to support female members, such as workshops and one-to-one coaching and support, both pre- and post-career break or for maternity leave.
“Chartered Accountants Ireland will continue to encourage, develop and bring through female talent that can make our profession more diverse and consequently more successful,” he said.
One third of the body’s governing council were women and 49% of its students were female, which Dempsey said was “a great indicator for the future”.
But he added that while the figures highlighted the increase in female membership in the profession and more female graduates moving towards a career in accountancy, “[Chartered Accountants Ireland] acknowledges that we have more to do to further grow this number”.
The accountancy body is the largest in Ireland and its members grew by 5.3% in 2017 and by almost 19% since 2013.
The Financial Reporting Council regulates the accounting, audit and actuarial professions in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
The membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, the public sector accountancy body for just the UK, consists of 32% women and 49% of its student members are female.
