Midlands-Northwest EU election candidates asked to commit to pro-women policies

Published: Monday, May 13, 2024

This afternoon women candidates running for EU Election in Midlands-Northwest 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 have been invited to speak at this event are Nina Carberry and Maria Walsh (FG), Lisa Chambers (FF), Michelle Gildernew (SF), Pauline O’Reilly (Greens).

In February 2024 less than 40% of MEPs were women. Ireland fares slightly worse, with currently 8 male MEPs to 5 female MEPs. This afternoon’s hustings, organised by the National Women’s Council (NWC) and Women For Election, is intended to provide space for women candidates in Midlands-Northwest 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, NWC will ask all candidates for election 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 will be complemented by one more hustings, in Cork on 28 May. The Dublin Hustings has already taken place. 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 on sineadn@nwci.ie

What: Midlands Northwest Hustings

When: 13 May, midday

Where: Radisson Blu Athlone

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