Historic bill tastes bittersweet after budget cutbacks

Published: Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Press Release

Historic bill tastes bittersweet after budget cutbacks

The publication today of a historic bill to increase the numbers of women involved in politics comes against the background of an anti-women budget.

The Electoral (Amendment) (political funding) bill 2011 makes provision that political parties should apply a mandatory target of 30% women and 30% men candidates at the next general election. The National Women's Council of Ireland today welcomed the Bill:

Speaking today Eóin Murray, who works for the Women's Council to get more women involved in politics said

"Our current gender balance is a disgrace and an embarrassment to Ireland on the international stage. The Dáil has never been less than 86% male and we currently rank just above Zimbabwe at 76th in the world. The Women's Council has been campaigning to change this since our foundation as the Council for the Status of Women in 1973. This measure is long overdue."

This initiative comes against the background of a savage budget which targeted women and children and cut 35% from the budget of the Women's Council, Ireland's national watchdog for women's rights.

Susan McKay, CEO of the Women's Council commended Minister Phil Hogan for introducing the legislation but said that the government needs to reverse anti-women elements of the budget, including cuts to child benefit, restrictions to the ability of lone parents to get decent work, cuts to resources for carers and the removal of jobs from low paid women putting a further burden on women who are not paid at all. "It also needs to restore funds at national and local levels to women's organisations which can mentor women who will be our future TD's," she said.

Click here to read NWCI CEO Susan McKay's article from the Irish Times.....