I was reading the comments and reactions to our manifesto on politicalreform.ie last night. The final comment was from a student in one of the larger universities talking about how he cannot attract women to his politics group in the university. He has therefore concluded that women simply are not interested in politics, they are just not political.
With a ratio of 20 men to 2 women this young man has concluded that it’s the content and not the structures or the culture that is putting women off. The same presumption is made at a national level – 15% of the candidates for GE11 are female therefore only 15% of the female population is interested in politics.
We need to challenge this perception.
We need to make the distinction between the structures that prevent women getting elected – well argued as the 5 C’s – and the substance of politics and policy.
Let’s talk about the grassroot organisations that women are involved in all over the country. According to the National Women’s Council there are over 2,500 voluntary organisations all over the country run by women. You can’t tell me that these women lobbying for better schools, better sports clubs, better facilities in deprived areas etc are not political.
You can’t tell me that a woman who is running her own business faced with regulations; EU directives, employment laws and restrictions is not interested in politics.
You can’t tell me that the primary carers in this country namely women, with a sick child/parent/neighbour queueing for a bed in the local hospital has no interest in how our health service is run.
You can’t tell me that women in homes all over the country who are desperately trying to make their household budgets stretch in the wake of the most severe budget in history are not interested in politics.
We, in the 5050 group believe that women have a democratic right as citizens to participate in law-making, and a moral duty to participate in developing a more sustainable future for our country.
Nothing short of an overhaul of the current system obliging political parties to take action will change the current regime.
Help us to break down the barriers to access to the polical system.
