Women whistleblowers are more likely to experience negative consequences for reporting wrongdoing according to a new report from Transparency International (TI) Ireland.
The 'Speak Up Report 2025' found that access to independent external advice remains one of the strongest factors in protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.
The report draws on anonymised data from over 2,800 people who sought guidance through TI Ireland's Speak Up Helpline between 2011 and 2024, and regression analysis from the 2023 Integrity at Work (IAW) survey of Irish employees and employers.
The survey found that 50% of women who said they had reported wrongdoing said they suffered negative consequences, with 37% of men claiming that whistleblowing had had a negative impact on them.
Analysis of the survey data shows there was a 15.7 percentage points increase in the probability of negative consequences for those who identified as female in the survey.
Those working in organisations that made their staff aware of access to external advice such as a trade union, solicitor, or the Speak Up Helpline, were 20% less likely to suffer negative consequences compared to those who raised concerns in an organisation without access to such supports.
"The findings from data spanning the past four years of supporting whistleblowers and our Integrity at Work survey is striking," said John Devitt, Chief Executive of TI Ireland.
"While more people are speaking up, women, in particular, continue to face disproportionate risks for doing so."
"New research from the University of Galway also suggests that anonymous whistleblowing channels, peer-support, and psychological care are among the measures that employers should consider implementing if they want to address the heightened risks that female employees encounter," Mr Devitt said.
The report calls for reforms to strengthen Ireland’s integrity infrastructure, including extending legal aid to whistleblowers, removing the cap on compensation for whistleblowers, ensuring all Workplace Relations Commission adjudicators receive specialist training in whistleblowing, and providing ethics training to all public officials.
The Speak Up Report 2025 was launched today as part of Integrity at Work Week 2025, hosted by TI Ireland in collaboration with the University of Galway.
