Tag Archives: legislation

“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.“

 

 

The Gender Quota Bill is In!

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The 50:50 Group welcomes the publication of gender quota legislation

On December 16, draft legislation on political party funding and candidate gender quotas was published by the Irish government.

The Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill, 2011 provides for a 30% gender quota for party candidates at the next election, rising to 40% seven years later. Non-compliant parties will risk financial penalties.

Edel Clancy, Chair of The 50:50 Group, welcoming the bill said:

‘We commend Minister Phil Hogan for including an electoral gender quota provision in the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011.  This development is extremely positive.  International research continually shows that candidate gender quotas are a successful contributor to increasing women’s political representation worldwide.  We warmly welcome the gender quota proposal as we believe it will contribute significantly to redressing the gender imbalance in Irish politics’.

The 50:50 Group has called for an extension of the gender quota to local elections. Local government is where politicians ‘cut their cloth’ –  gain the experience & profile that aids their candidature for Dáil election.

Currently, women account for only 17% of all County Councillors.  A key problem is that with so few numbers of women in local government, political parties oftentimes do not have ‘experienced’ and ‘qualified’ women politicians to select at Dáil elections.

It is vital that the legislative gender quota is extended to local government to ensure a constant supply of qualified and experienced women politicians available to contest at national elections’.

Echoing comments from other groups working in the area to promote gender balance in politics, Ms Clancy advised ‘this measure will finally break the glass ceiling of political representation for women in Ireland.  The Bill will require parties to give the voters a gender choice at election times.  The 30% quota provision is very attainable.

UCC academic & member of The 50:50 Group, Fiona Buckley, has calculated that at the 2011 election just one more female party candidate in 38 of the 43 constituencies would have delivered the 30% quota.”

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