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Why are women significantly outnumbered by men in Irish politics?

Aug1
Women from across Donegal and representing various community groups attending the Donegal County Council’s EMPOWER HER event in Lifford Council Chamber.

This Women’s Lives, Women’s Voice’s feature is written by Rhona Hannigan, Development Worker with the Women’s Collective Ireland-Donegal. Highlighting the issue of the lack of women in local politics and poses the question, why is there still so many male politicians representing women’s voices in all aspects of Irish politics?

With the local and European elections wrapped up its important that we highlight the continued lack of female political representation in Irish Politics. Why should we focus on women’s politics now as the elections are over, well we have a general election coming up before March next year, with the possibility of an early election in autumn. With so many other focus areas like healthcare, migration and housing, gender equality seems to have gone by the way side. Important issues like pay parity, gender based violence and equal pensions for women. Recent research shows that women in Ireland would need to work eight years longer to retire with the same pensions as men. The 2024 Gender Pension Gap Report from Irish Life found that there is a 36% gender pension gap faced by working women, highlighting the inequalities between men and women right the way through to retirement.

A Global Context

So why is it that not enough women run for office or get elected in Ireland? If we look at the statistics in Europe, Ireland has the 6th lowest rate of female participation in lower houses of parliament, only 26.5% of parliamentarians in single or lower houses are women globally, this has risen from 11% in 1995. There has been a steady rise globally of women in politics visible from the 18th and 19th centuries where women did not have the right to vote or sit in parliaments. According to the United Nations only six countries have 50% or more women in parliament globally, Rwanda have 61%, Cuba have 53%, Nicaragua have 52%, Mexico have 50%, New Zealand have 50% and the United Arab Emirates have 50%.  In 2008, Rwanda became the first parliament to have more than 50% women, the first women-majority parliament. The UN also recorded last month that there was 28 countries that had women serve as Heads of State and/or Government. At the current rate it will take 130 years to reach gender equality in the highest positions of power.

In Ireland

In Ireland, 21.1% of TD’s are women, 38.3% Senators and 25.9% are County Councillors. Barriers exist for women, the “5 Cs”, confidence, childcare, culture, cash and candidate selection are some of the obstacles faced. I recently spoke with a female councillor who sat in a very “traditional Borough” in the North of Ireland. She only ran once as she found it difficult being in a minority, especially when gender sensitive topics arose, she found it “unbearable”. In many cases in our patriarchal system women are still expected to be the main care giver in the home, this limits availability and commitment. We are also resistant to change, traditionally politics has been male dominated and people are reluctant to nominate or vote for someone different. However, voter loyalties to political parties is in decline, elections have become unpredictable. Anti establishment sentiment and positions are contributing to the changing shape of the party system. I believe this will cause more barriers to leveling up women in politics.

Moving Forward

We need to change the dynamic of the political system in Ireland, a change that is reflective of an ever evolving society. Implemented by and includes more women, we need more working-class women, migrant women, Traveler women, rural women, disabled women, more women from the LGBTQI community. Only then will all women be represented here. A 50/50 gender balance in government is key to Ireland becoming a thriving and vibrant society. This quota needs to be met and surpassed. Imagine having a women’s perspective on housing, healthcare or the justice system. How much fairer and more efficient it could be.

There has been a push by various organisations to get more women elected, however, as mentioned by Rachel Coyle, Head of Campaigns and Mobilisation for the National Women’s Council, more women ran in local elections that saw women from diverse backgrounds being elected. However, it still remains that women will only make up around 26 % of Councillors which is the same percentage of outgoing women Councillors.

While a record number of 677 women contested the elections, up from 566 in 2019, it was only 31% of overall candidates. There was an increase in migrant women contesting the elections, however, no Traveller women sought election and in two constituencies, Moate in County Westmeath and An Daingean in County Kerry, no women ran. Local elections are a clear route to national government and both of the two main parties  Fianna Fail and Fine Gael failed to meet the 40% quota, failing to even reach 30%. The latest data available in the infographic below compiled by the Central Statistic Office paints a grim picture of women in decision making roles.

In Donegal with thirty-seven seats to fill there was a record nighty one candidates that contested the local elections. Of those elected just three were women from seven electoral areas, one down from the 2019 elections. Joy Beard who ran for the first time was elected on the first count in Buncrana, and Dakota Nic Mheanman was elected in the Lifford-Stranorlar local electoral area. Both Beard and Nic Mheanman are affiliated with the 100% Redress party and Sinn Féin respectively. While Niamh Kennedy retained her seat as an independent candidate in Donegal. 

So why is it so important that we encourage more women into politics? Public representation should be diverse, representative of the society we live in. This will benefit all of society promoting a rounded and balanced decision-making process. County Councils implement procedures and make decisions that affect the places where we live, work, and relax whether its affordable housing, road works, environmental issues, providing playgrounds or leisure facilities. Governments make decisions that affect us at a global level. Decisions made by elected representatives affect our everyday life, so it is crucial that women play an equal part in that decision-making process.

Upcoming Women in Local Leadership (WILL) programme in Donegal

Let’s celebrate and support women in leadership together! Join the new Women’s Collective Ireland-Donegal programme starting on Tuesday 17th September 10am-1pm in Donegal Town. This is a FREE 8-week programme for women and a space for you to explore what leadership means and develop your skills and confidence. Over the sessions you will learn about local government structures and voting with a field trip to local government in Lifford and with the opinion to visit Dáil Éireann, look at equality and human rights issues, think critically about lived experiences, gender equality and issues that hold back women’s equality and participation in society. Exploring ways to empower and support those affected by gender discrimination.

If you would like to take part in this programme please fill in our form here https://forms.gle/fUvymoZNasTv8T8n8 and we will be in contact. For more information please email WCI-Donegal on donegal@womenscollective.ie or text us on 085 8638419.

WCI-Donegal are always looking for women to share their stories and looking for women to write features on topics of their choice which we will profile as part of our Women’s Lives, Women’s Voices’ series.

Beyond the Dáil: Will Gender Quotas Make a Difference?

Nov5

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This September graduate student Danielle Brady visited the NCCWN Donegal Women’s Network office as part of her master’s thesis project research gathering. We chatted about the local realities for women running for election, breaking into politics and discussed the recent 2019 local elections and our post-election commentary were we asked Why so few Women in Donegal Politics? In October Danielle was awarded a first class Masters honours degree from Queens University for her project research. We are delighted to see a young woman such as Danielle achieve such an award, it was clear from meeting her that she has so much passion and knowledge in this area and we wish her all the best in her budding and bright future.  

 

In this months Women’s Live’s, Women’s Voice’ feature Danielle Brady shares her research on the impact of national gender quotas on candidate selection at the local level. 

 

In July 2012 the government introduced gender quotas for general elections. The introduced legislation referred to as ‘The 2012 Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act’ stipulated that state funding for political parties would be reduced by 50% “unless at least 30 per cent of the candidates whose candidatures were authenticated by the qualified party at the preceding general election were women and at least 30 per cent were men” increasing to 40% seven years thereafter.  The quotas were first used in the 2016 general election. It is difficult to conclude the full extent of their success, given that only one election has been held since their introduction. However, there are some positive signifiers, as the 2016 election saw the highest number of women both running for and elected to Dáil Eireann. But, what about local government? Have the quotas had any impact on female representation at the local level?

 

 

Although not legislated for at the local level it may be expected that the quotas at national level would result in a contagion or diffusion effect at the local level, given the fact the local government acts a “springboard” “into national politics. Research conducted by political scientists has found that those who have served in local government are better positioned to secure a seat in the national legislature. In fact, 90% of female TD’s elected in 2016 had at some stage in their careers served in local government. Given this link, it might be expected that political parties would seek to increase the number of women on local election tickets so as create a pool of candidates to select from for future general elections.

Looking at the recent local elections held in May 2019, we see an overall increase in the percentage of female candidates. In total 1,975 individuals contested the elections, 561 of which were female meaning that 28.4% of candidates contesting the elections were women, increasing from 21.6% in the previous election in 2014. Although an overall increase was recorded the extent of this varied between the political parties. As evidenced in the graph below, the four main parties Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Labour all recorded varying levels of female candidacy, increasing the proportion of women candidates at various rates.

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Despite the variation in female candidacy between parties, each party cited did increase the proportion of female candidates selected to contest the local elections in 2019. But what has contributed to this increase and can a link be drawn between this increase and the introduced national gender quotas?

Interviews with representatives from the four main parties, deduced that the quotas did indeed have an indirect impact on candidate selection for local elections. Those interviewed acknowledged an awareness within parties for a need to increase the number of women candidates at local level so as to create a pool of candidates for national election to meet the gender quota. They furthermore pointed to the role quotas played in instilling a change in culture within parties with regard to gender, whereby gender is now considered by party recruiters in a manner in which it had not previously been. However, while the quotas played an indirect role in increasing the number of female candidates, they were not the sole contributing factor. Instead further factors emerged including political mobilisation surrounding the recent referendums, whereby women who had been involved in campaigns surrounding the referendum on equal marriage and the referendum to repeal the eighth amendment, had approached political parties to put themselves forward as candidates. A third yet smaller factor also emerged; the government incentive which saw parties receive €100 per female candidate if they increased their female representation when compared to the last local elections in 2014.

 

While each of these three factors including the quotas resulted in the four main parties increasing their female candidacy, variations were recorded within each of the parties in term of geography as evidenced in the table below:

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In trying to understand why such discrepancies exist within parties two factors emerge. The issue of incumbents was cited by political party representatives and representatives from the National Women’s Council, Women for Election and NCCWN Donegal’s Women Network as a barrier to increasing female representation whereby a high number of (male) incumbents in an area creates difficulties in adding women to the ticket. Furthermore resistance from party branches at the local level was cited as barrier to increasing the number of women candidates. Such resistance is not exclusive to gender promotion but rather tends to exist towards directives given from national level or HQ to constituency branches.

Although the quotas do appear to have had a positive indirect impact on candidate selection at local level, the extent of this impact differs both between and within the four main political parties. Furthermore the quotas were not the sole contributor to the increase in proportion of female candidates with political mobilisation surrounding the recent referendums and the government incentive also playing a role. Despite the positive influence of these factors women continue to be underrepresented both in terms of candidacy and elected officials with women accounting for just 24% of councillors. Thus, measures must be taken to ensure greater female representation in local government.

 

About the author: Danielle Brady has recently completed a Master of Arts in Politics in Queen’s University Belfast, having graduated from Maynooth University in 2018 with a degree in Philosophy Politics and Economics. The above piece is based on research carried out for her Masters dissertation with the same title.

 

NCCWN Donegal are always looking for women to share their stories and looking for women to write features on topics of their choice which we will profile as part of our Women’s Lives, Women’s Voices’ series.

Who Speaks for Me?

Sep16

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Women of Donegal do you feel Represented? Are Women Fairly Represented in Politics?

 

NCCWN-Donegal Women’s Network wants to hear from you. On Wednesday 9th October 11am-2pm we are hosting an event in the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, where we will look at these very questions.

 

We believe it’s important women from all diverse backgrounds, cultures and life experiences feel and have their voices heard. We are therefore organising this event as part of Social Inclusion Week, an opportunity to hear from women and learn how they feel their voices, values and experiences are heard.

 

This is an open event so please feel free to just come along, listen, learn and help us see what action/s we can take collectively to gain a real sense of solidarity for women.

A light lunch will be served and we would love for you to come join us.

 

For more info contact NCCWN Donegal Women’s Network on
074 97 22790 or email donegalwomensnetwork@gmail.com

This is a 50 50 Group North West/ SHE – See Her Elected Project event supported by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

Historical Donegal Women

Sep3

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In this Women’s Lives Women’s Voices feature Historian Dr Angela Byrne from Donegal highlights the historical struggles faced by women here in Ireland. And she pays tribute to Rose Brogan, Ethna Carbery, Máire de Paor, Maureen Wall, née MacGeehin, Kathleen ‘Kay’ McNulty and Margaret ‘Pearl’ Dunlevy, inspiring historical women with Donegal connections. 

 

By Angela Byrne

This is a good time to reflect on women in Irish society in the past and in the present. The ‘Decade of Centenaries’ and its commemorations gave the people of Ireland an opportunity to re-examine the keystone moments in our national story. Remarkable figures emerged from the shadows as we heard new stories about the women and children of the 1913 Lockout and the Easter Rising. The volunteer-run Her story Project established a series of local and national events to provide a platform for telling Irish women’s stories. One of the great successes of the recent commemorations was the naming of Dublin’s newest bridge after the republican and labour activist, Rosie Hackett. This is the first of our capital’s twenty-one bridges to bear a woman’s name.

 

0194400c0c609b470d95a4db3335e62dIn 2018, we celebrated the centenary of what Catriona Crowe has called “the single greatest human rights achievement of the entire decade of centenaries” – the extension of voting rights to women on 6 February 1918. The Representation of the People Act enfranchised some 8.4 million women across Britain and Ireland – but only property-holders aged 30 and above. In 1922, the constitution of the Irish Free State extended the franchise to all Irish women and men aged 21 and over, but for a period of four years, younger and poorer women remained voiceless.

Women’s suffrage was won after decades of effort by campaigners like Anna and Thomas Haslam of the Women’s Suffrage Association, and the more “militant” Irish Women’s Franchise League (IWFL) established by Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington and Margaret Cousins. The IWFL brought much more public attention to the women’s movement because they refused to be confined by social expectations of women’s behaviour. Tactics ranged from petitioning to window smashing. In 1909, English suffragettes in became the first to use hunger striking as a form of protest, leading to the infamous ‘Cat and Mouse Act’ of 1913, which allowed the temporary release and recapture of hunger strikers in response to public objections to force-feeding. In 1912, the Irish Women’s Franchise League established its own weekly newspaper, The Irish Citizen, which ran until 1920. In its pages, suffragists of all political shades debated their differing interpretations of feminism.

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There was a rapid growth of women’s suffrage groups throughout Ireland. In Sligo Eva and Constance Gore Booth set up a branch of the IWSGLA. By 1914 there were 26 suffrage societies with almost 3,000 members. Although committed to the same aim, these societies often represented distinct social and political groups e.g. the Conservative and Unionist Women’s Franchise Association, Irish Catholic Women’s Suffrage Society, Unionist Women’s Franchise Association. The activities of these societies were uncoordinated. In 1911 Louie Bennett (1870 -1956) and Helen Chenevix (1880-1963) helped establish the Irish Women’s Suffrage Federation (IWSF) to link the suffrage groups together. The IWSF was non-militant and non-sectarian. Image Source  www.dublincity.ie

On 21 November 1918, the UK parliament voted in the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act. The act simply stated: “A woman shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage for being elected to or sitting or voting as a Member of the Commons House of Parliament.” Women aged over 21 now had the right to stand for general election. Just weeks later, on 14 December 1918, Constance Markievicz became the first woman to win a seat at Westminster. She abstained in favour of sitting in the First Dáil.

 

In her celebrated 1995 book The Prospect Before Her, the historian Olwen Hufton wrote that women’s absence from history pointed to “either a grave sin of omission or to a flagrant suppression of the evidence, and hence to a distortion of the record by historians of former times. Whether the omission was unconscious or deliberate, the result was the same: women, with a few notable exceptions, had been denied a history.” Let’s celebrate our suffrage centenary by continuing to challenge that denial, to give silenced women a voice.

 

Discover some of Donegal’s Historical Women

 

Please take the time to read further features written by Angela and discover more about Donegal’s inspiring historical women by clicking on the pictures below.

“I hope that these features will raise awareness of the richness of the lives of Donegal women in the past, shine a light on their achievements, and show how they overcame barriers to education and other obstacles. Reflecting on past lives can help us to contextualise current issues and to understand changes and continuities. With that in mind, this series will focus on past women’s struggles for equality, access to education and work, and social justice.”

Dr Angela Byrne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Dr Angela Byrne

Dr. Angela ByrneAngela Byrne is a historian specialising in migration and women’s history. She is Research Associate at Ulster University and, in 2018-19, was the inaugural DFAT Historian-in-Residence at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. She is author of Geographies of the Romantic North (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), A Scientific, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour: John (Fiott) Lee in Ireland, England and Wales, 1806–1807 (Routledge for Hakluyt Society, 2018), and many articles and book chapters on the histories of travel and exploration, the Irish abroad, and women in the sciences.

She has previously held lecturing and research positions in University of Toronto, University of Greenwich, Maynooth University, and the Royal Irish Academy, as well as visiting fellowships at Cambridge University, the All-Russia State Library for Foreign Literature (Moscow), and the Huntington Library (Los Angeles). Her research is concerned with cross-cultural encounters and the experiences of women and migrants in the past.

 

NCCWN Donegal Women’s Network have had the privilege of Angela giving insight into the lives of historical  Donegal women over the past few years at past events, including most recently our 2019 Balance for Better International Women’s Day Event in March, where Angela gave a talk on the political life of Letterkenny local Kate McCarry, Donegal’s first ever elected female county councillor.

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NCCWN Donegal Women’s Network have had the privilege of Angela giving insight into the lives of historical  Donegal women over the past few, including most recently our 2019 Balance for Better International Women’s Day Event in March, where Angela gave a talk on the political life of Letterkenny local Kate McCarry Donegal’s first ever elected female county councillor.

NCCWN Donegal are always looking for women to share their stories and looking for women to write features on topics of their choice which we will profile as part of our Women’s Lives, Women’s Voices’ series, so please get in touch if you would like to write a feature.