Tag Archives: gender quotas

Senator Susan O’Keeffe spoke with power & inspiration

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  Susan O’Keeffe spoke with a sense of history – as if she was aware her words mattered for the future of Irish women & Irish men…

In our opinion, it is one of the great speeches of modern Irish politics.  Read & savour her text: isn’t it inspiring?

Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill
Seanad Éireann  2 February 2012

Failte raibh gach einne agus go speisialta mna na hEireann.
I welcome Minister Hogan to the House & I welcome this legislation – to bring greater transparency to political funding & financing of political parties –  and the promotion of greater gender parity in politics.

I once had the temerity to suggest Charles Haughey was very closely associated with big business & political donations – and I was roundly & soundly abused for that.

I particularly welcome legislation that will level the playing field & end the unhealthy relationship – the golden circles – that have flourished in the past between big business & politics.

I will address the bulk of my remarks to the gender quota aspects of this Bill

Now is the time…
We want to grow up as a country – we want men & women to be represented equally because we are all equal:

We have equal rights
We are equal in terms of population
We are mothers, sisters, daughters & wives
We are teachers, police officers, coaches, bank officials, managers, bosses
Women contribute across society – in the home, in schools, in the community, in hospitals, in voluntary organisations

Yet in the place where key decisions are made – we are absent
We are missing from the place where we should most be…
Missing in numbers where we can contribute, make an impact, make a difference…

Yes. We do operate differently – we have different priorities, different approaches.
We think differently.
We work differently
WE ARE DIFFERENT – and it’s the difference that matters – it’s the difference we want – in public life – in political life
In the Dail, in the Seanad
In Government
In Cabinet

It’s the difference we need.
Because the difference will make a difference
And this difference, this inclusion of women is not emerging through the normal procedures.

We are not making progress…
if it’s 250 or 350 years before it happens
– we can’t afford to wait any longer.

This is an urgent matter because it goes to the core of who we are & how we look after ourselves & country.

There is an invisible quota firmly in place – the one that has always supported, encouraged – and most importantly –
Men to be in politics
Men to be in charge,
Men to be in power,
to take the decisions
And in part we expect that because we look around us, that’s what is reflected back to us…

Where I live in Sligo, we have had Mary Reynolds & Marian Harkin – only 2 women TDs – and now 2 women Senators Imelda Henry and myself

That hardly represents the population of Sligo/Leitrim or Sligo/North Leitrim.
That’s the status quo. What people are used to, what people know, what’s comfortable
People don’t change their banks easily…
they don’t change their religion easily…
they certainly don’t change their politics easily or their voting habits…

And voting for a woman will be difficult for some people, impossible for others perhaps

But IF THERE ARE NO WOMEN TO VOTE FOR – IT CANT HAPPEN

Of course…
We could say that’s how it is – that’s life – tell that to cancer patients whose lives have been made better by medical & scientific interventions…
We could talk about more women & how important it is & hope it rubs off somehow…
We could try to level the playing field – to say to parties:
Make the effort
Change your attitude
Change the status quo
Welcome women
Support women

And to say to women too:
Make the effort
Change your attitude
Change the status quo

So we have to give this process a push, a kickstart to change our way of thinking, to see that women are not entitled to be involved

We are obliged to be involved.
It is our country. We are all responsible

Of course, this is not a replacement for much-needed wider political reform of the institutions of government. That is necessary – and will take years as reform always does. But that process should & must benefit from the input of women  – so that, at least, the issues of childcare, work patterns & work environment could be addressed by both men & women – and some of those less-family-friendly-policies could be examined & reorganised.

The Scottish Parliament – has a crèche open 8am to
And aims to meet between 9.30 and 5.30 – Tuesday to Thursday

Remember – the only Government in the world – Rwanda – which is predominantly women – outlawed polygamy!

Of course, persuading more women to enter public life & political life will not result directly from this piece of legislation. It is an enabler to encourage the environment to be built where more women will want to come forward because they will know that they can & will get a fairer hearing.

Naturally some women will never choose politics – no more than I would choose to be an actuary or an engineer – I can’t draw a straight line & algebra & I were never friends
Being a public representative is not everybody’s cup of tea.

But this legislation will have a greater impact
because it supported supported by50:50 Group...

– I am proud to say I am a founder member of the North West branch of this lobby group which is now nearly national:  50:50 aims to encourage debate, conversation, discussion & argument about the need for more women in politics.

… and is also supported by a new group called Women for Election which has received funding from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland  to do the very thing many critics say is missing – run workshops, lectures, offer training and mentoring to women who are interested and want to know about a life in politics.

And why did Women for Election go down this route?
– because, when they were lobbying for a Yes vote in the Lisbon Treaty, they encountered many women who were interested in politics, but because they were outside the family/dynastic/party system didn’t know how to get involved
didn’t know if they would be welcome
felt excluded.

These  movements are of women, for women & by women which is not surprising – but crucially – in 21st century
these movements encourage support from men & have received much support from men for these changes. Without that support, this would remain just a law without being rooted in society.

Of course, male support will be well & truly tested – when it involves the realisation that women will not be sitting on men’s knees in either of the Houses of the Oireachtas
– it will mean some men will have to move over!

But those critics of the legislation would do well to remember that society changes slowly over time & there are many pieces to the jigsaw of change…

I – as one woman who believes that 50:50 is the correct form of representation – welcome this legislation.

THE DIFFERENCE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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Why I’ve changed my mind about Gender Quotas – by Ken Curtin Fianna Fáil

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I have always believed candidates for all parties should be chosen solely on the basis of merit – regardless of gender or any other factor.

I also believe ordinary grassroots members of political parties should be the ones who pick candidates to represent them.

For both these reasons – for many years – I’ve been a vocal opponent of gender quotas being imposed on Irish political parties (also against any other type of quota  being imposed on parties).

I was wrong…
I now firmly believe I was wrong in thinking you couldn’t have one while maintaining the other. It’s very possible to have quotas and, at the same time, let ordinary members choose their candidates on basis of merit.

My political life
I’ve been involved in politics off & on for most of my life.  Much of that time I have been, and still am, a member of Fianna Fáil.

I’m delighted my parliamentary party are fully supportive of the gender quotas legislation that came before Seanad Eireann today.

I hope their Amendment  – proposing gender quotas also apply to Local Elections –  is taken on board.  (If parties thought about it, this makes complete sense for blooding new candidates ahead of next General Election).

I’m very conscious in supporting my parliamentary party on this.  I’m in a minority among my party’s ordinary members. Many Fianna Fáil members are understandably opposed to the introduction of quotas – for a variety of reasons:

  • grass-roots opposition to this Gender Quotas legislation is a common theme among members of all parties (from talking to friends in other parties)
  • the most common reason I’ve heard for opposition is  – Quotas are “undemocratic” & will result in “token women” candidates being imposed by HQ.
  • the other usual argument is:  Why stop with women, should there not be quotas for every other type of minority to make our Dáil truly representative?

Dealing with these issues in reverse order…

  • gender is different because circa 50% of population is female & 50% male – women are not a minority & should not be regarded as such.  (Also, 50% of all other sub-categories would also be female.)
  • Calling any candidate a “token candidate” is unfair on both the process & individual. No one – regardless of gender – should be labelled as “token”.

Selection Conventions
I’ve attended multiple selection conventions. Anyone who can say (“hand on their heart”) all candidates have been picked on the basis of merit alone should consider politics themselves. They have  obvious ability to lie with a straight face – either that or they are clearly delusional!

What now needs to happen is …
all parties should select candidates democratically at local level, u sing the rules that apply.

Contrary to popular belief one member, one vote (OMOV) selection and Quotas are not mutually exclusive.

People need to just operate within the constraints that apply when choosing candidates.

Quotas of type (for example, geographic) have been used for years without ever being called “quotas”.  Grassroots members just need to adapt to the new circumstances.

In the case of my party, Fianna Fáil, this will probably mean that, for 2014 ‘locals’, we’ll operate two new types of quota – gender & younger-than-30s.

But neither should conflict with candidates still being selected on merit at local level by the local membership.

Temporary quotas
 (they should become obsolete within 4 General Election cycles) are one small but important part of the overall solution to get more women involved in politics.

Temporary quotas should never be considered in isolation – instead they should be seen as a key part of the overall solution.

Where quotas will come into their own is in terms of changing the culture internally in parties.   No matter how much we’d like to deny it, the culture in parties is still mildly misogynistic.  This culture has filtered through to our elected chambers, where we still have just 15% female representation in Dáil – & only 100 women have ever held a Dáil seat.

This mildly misogynistic culture was never more evident than in the 2012 budget which is possibly the most misogynistic in years – possibly reflecting the fact we only have 2 women out of 15 in cabinet (both in stereotypical female ministries).

Quotas are going to come in – that is a certainty.  My suspicion is (despite being long overdue) their imminent arrival has come far too fast for many ordinary party members.

To overcome this – hand-in-hand with measures now being put in place to get more women involved

  • existing members (regardless of gender) need to be educated & consulted on quota implementation within parties to ensure such concerns can be addressed.

Most importantly of all…

  • it’s vital that selection conventions still happen – democratically choosing the best possible candidates based on ability – cognisant of new rules that apply, including quotas.