Evelyn Owens

Evelyn Perpetua Owens (22 January 1931 – 26 September 2010) was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade union activist.

Evelyn Owens was a pioneering advocate for women’s rights and industrial relations in Ireland. Her frustration with gender-based pay disparity in Dublin Corporation led her to champion equal pay, joining the Irish Local Government Officials' Union (ILGOU) and securing equal pay rates for women in the 1960s. Owens became the first female president of ILGOU and used her position in Seanad Éireann (1969–1977) to push for equal pay and women’s rights. During her tenure in the Seanad, Owens became the first woman to hold the office of Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Owens continued to make a significant impact as chair of the Labour Court from 1994, advancing gender equality and securing key rulings on sexual harassment and discrimination. Her mediation helped avert a national nurses' strike in 1997 and contributed to major reforms, including the introduction of the minimum wage in 2001.