Ireland South EU election candidates asked to commit to pro-women policies
Published: Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Women candidates in the constituency will this morning be asked to commit to feminist policies
This morning women candidates running for EU Election in Ireland South will be asked to commit to a feminist manifesto and support the rights and lives of women and girls at EU level. The women candidates who will speak at this event are Grace O’Sullivan (Green Party), Lorna Bogue (Rabharta Glas), Kathleen Funchion (Sinn Féin) and Susan Doyle (Social Democrats).
In February 2024 less than 40% of MEPs were women. Ireland fares slightly worse, with currently 8 male MEPs to 5 female MEPs. This morning’s hustings, organised by the National Women’s Council (NWC) and Women For Election, is intended to provide space for women candidates in Ireland South to reach women and feminist voters and explain how they will work to improve the lives of women and girls.
NWC director Orla O’Connor said:
“Women have had to overcome significant historical disadvantage in securing representation. We know that when women are elected, more progressive and feminist policy follows. Hustings like ours today give women candidates the opportunity to speak to women voters and all feminist voters to let them know what they will do to improve the lives of women and girls across the EU.”
Flor McCarthy, Women For Election, said:
"Ireland remains 103rd in the world for gender representation in politics. This year, voters will have a 1-in-5-year chance to deliver a crucial shift in our democracy towards gender parity by consciously prioritising the election of more of the women here today to the European Parliament. This would mean more representative policy decisions and create more opportunities for women to be in key leadership positions.”
During today’s event, all candidates will be asked to commit to the following:
Achieve parity democracy and women’s equal representation;
Champion women’s economic independence and support an economic model that values care;
Put an end to all forms of violence against women;
Put an end to the neo-liberal and patriarchal exploitation of women’s and girls’ bodies;
Guarantee women’s bodily autonomy;
Include women’s voices in peace-building;
Make women an integral part of the green transition.
Today’s event is complemented by two previous hustings in Dublin and in Midlands Northwest (Athlone). NWC and Women For Election have invited all women candidates with political representation (either individually or at the party level) to take part.
Ends/
For comment: Orla O’Connor and Flor McCarthy
Find here the EWL feminist manifesto: https://womenlobby.org/IMG/pdf/ewl_manifesto_-_english_3_.pdf
As gaeilge: https://www.womenlobby.org/IMG/pdf/ewl_manifesto_-_irish.pdf
For more information, please contact Sinéad Nolan, NWC Communications and Social Media Coordinator, 085 8619087 or sineadn@nwci.ie
What: Ireland South Hustings
When: 11am, 28 May
Where: The Schteppes Auditorium, UCC
About NWC
The National Women’s Council is the leading national representative organisation for women and women’s groups in Ireland, founded in 1973. We have over 190 member groups and a large and growing community of individual supporters.
The ambition of the National Women’s Council is an Ireland where every woman enjoys true equality and no woman is left behind. This ambition shapes and informs our work, and, with our living values, how we work.
We are a movement-building organisation rooted in our membership, working on the whole island of Ireland. We are also part of the international movement to protect and advance women’s and girls’ rights. Our purpose is to lead action for the achievement of women’s and girls’ equality through mobilising, influencing, and building solidarity. Find out more on www.nwci.ie