Tag Archives: Green Party

“How To Elect More Women” Conference in Dublin Castle

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Kathleen Lynch, Minister for Disability, Equality, Mental Health & Older People,  together with the Irish Government Department of Justice & Equality are collaborating with …

Support from European Social Fund, they are organising a major public Conference on Friday 20 January 2012 – in Dublin Castle starting at 09:00 with tea and coffee and closing @ 1615.

Pre-register (essential) @ politicsconference@justice.ie

What a line-up!

Facilitator :  Olivia O’Leary
Opening Address:
Alan Shatter, Minister for Justice, Equality & Defence
International Speakers:
Ms Ajla Van Heel, Poland, Ms Nan Sloane UK

Irish Speakers: [in draft programme order]
Mary White, former Minister for Equality; Claire McGing, NUI Maynooth; Senator Ivana Bacik; Susan McKay, CEO National Women’s Council of Ireland; Minister Kathleen Lynch; Deputy Catherine Byrne, Fine Gael; Deputy Sandra McLellan, Sinn Féin; Deputy Catherine Murphy, Independent; Senator Averil Power, Fianna Fáil; Councillor Jane Dillon Byrne, Labour; Tom Curran, General Secretary, Fine Gael; Ms Ita McAuliffe, General Secretary, Labour Party; Seán Dorgan, General Secretary, Fianna Fáil; Ms Ailbhe Smyth, ‘People Before Profit Alliance’.

Also, there will be a Leaders’ Round Table with
Taoiseach & Leader of Fine Gael, Enda Kenny
Tánaiste & Leader of Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore
Leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin
Leader of the Green Party, Eamon Ryan

Final Words:  Minister Kathleen Lynch

There will be an Open Discussion after each speaking session.

About this Conference:
“… This Conference is an opportunity for an open dialogue with international & national experts including academics, politicians, political activists, party administrators & Party leaders, about the steps that need to be taken to ensure that women are more equally represented in Irish political life in the future.” [extract from Draft Conference Programme]

Who may attend the Conference?
“The Conference is open to all but is likely to be of greatest interest to 

  • women who might already be actively involved in community, business, public or political life;
  • women who are curious about how political life works in Ireland;
  • anyone involved in political life in Ireland;
  • anyone interested in advancing the role of women in all aspects of Irish life.” [draft Conference Programme]
More information & Queries:
Phone +353 1 4790263/4790293 Gender Equality Division, Department of Justice & Equality  
The 50:50 Group welcomes
this important Conference & will be attending.  One of the speakers, Claire McGing is a member of 50:50 Dublin.  She’ll speak on “Why do we need more women in politics & how do we get there.“

 

 

Claire McGing on Gender Quotas at 50/50 Public Meeting (slides)

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“Shocking the system? Looking at the gender quota proposal”

Claire McGing, Government of Ireland IRCHSS scholar, John and Pat Hume scholar, NUI Maynooth, Dublin  50-50 Group
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This is proposed

•Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011
•Part 5: State Funding of Political Parties and Gender Balance:
•Head 31 – Insertion of a new section in Part III of the Electoral Act 1997 – gender balance amongst candidates of a qualified political party
 
(1)  Provide that following the next general election after the commencement of this Act half of every payment to a qualified party under Part III of the Act shall be contingent on at least 30% of the candidates whose candidatures were authenticated by the qualified political party at the last preceding general election being women and at least 30% being men.
 
(2)  Provide that on the day that is 7 years after polling day at the general election referred to in subsection (1) the threshold shall rise to 40% for women candidates and 40% for men candidates for the next following general elections.
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“Soft” Measures
•Tried, tested and usually fail!
•Fine Gael Equality for Women project (2004): “At the next general election [2007], the target should be to increase the number of female Fine Gael TDs from two to between eight and ten. The number of senators should increase from one to four or five”.

–   5 women TDs & 3 senators elected

•Fianna Fáil Gender Equality Action Plan (2004):  20% women candidates in 2007

–   13% women candidates

•Labour had a 30% target ahead of the 2011 general election
– 27% women candidates
•Greens had a 40% target for the 2009 local elections
–  22% women candidates
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•Sinn Féin had a 30% target the 2009 local elections

–   23% women candidates
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Questioning Quotas

•Will a quota take away the power of local party members to select candidates?
•Will ‘unqualified’ women be selected?
•Will a quota result in ‘parachuted’ candidates?
•Will women candidates be selected as ‘tokens’?
•Will parties have trouble recruiting women to run?
•Does a quota restrict voter choice?
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