80% of local female candidates demand a ‘critical mass’ to reduce gender imbalance

Published: Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) has today released some startling results from its most recent survey: 'How can we increase women's participation in politics?'
'The results of the local elections in June were disastrous for women's equality,' says Susan McKay, NWCI Director, 'with women representing only 16%, and men representing 84% of those elected. This confirms the lack of progress from the 2004 elections, when only 19% of elected representatives were women. The NWCI has been highlighting this issue for many years and believe that without equality within the political domain there can be no true equality in our society'.

Following the results, the NWCI conducted the survey to gather evidence of women's experiences on the canvassing trail. Some of the feedback was quite shocking; with candidates citing intimidation, bullying tactics, paternalistic attitudes within political parties and general negative and misogynistic comments from members of the public.

'It is clear from the results of the local elections and from the cross-party feedback that the NWCI has received by way of this survey that the National Women's Strategy is needed now, more than ever. It is truly worrying then that at this very moment the government is ransacking the National Women's Strategy's budget' Ms McKay continued.

Women's interests are being excluded from government policies and in the distribution of resources, as a result of this severe imbalance. 'An Bord Snip Nua' is an example of this; with 5 men and 1 woman making up the membership of the group. Had women been equally represented, perhaps one of them would have been a lone parent or a mother of a child with learning difficulties or caring for an elderly parent. Perhaps then, proposed cuts to child benefit, special needs education, programmes designed to address women's inequality, tackle violence against women, alleviate poverty and build communities could have been at best avoided, and at worse, less severe.

'Over 80% of survey respondents from around the country agree with the NWCI that we need a critical mass of women in power now. The NWCI demands legislative action to compel parties to put forward an equal number of candidates, in winnable seats in time to influence the next general election' Ms McKay concluded.