Ireland’s new parliament has the lowest proportion of female parliamentarians in Western Europe, an analysis has revealed, suggesting that a country that elected its first female president more than three decades ago has trailed behind when it comes to the inclusion of women in politics.
An analysis of Inter-Parliamentary Union data by Bloomberg described the Irish parliament as the “worst for gender diversity in western Europe.”
Out of the 174 seats up for grabs in last month’s election, 44 went to women, amounting to a representation of slightly more than 25 percent — a stark contrast to the Western European average of 37 percent when it comes to female parliamentarians.
Photo: AP
Across Europe as a whole, female parliamentarians make up an average of 32 percent of parliaments.
Ireland adopted gender quotas in 2012, with the requirement boosted to 40 percent in the most recent election. The result was 246 female candidates — the highest number registered to run in an Irish general election.
Of these candidates, 44 were elected to the Dail Eireann, or lower house of the Irish parliament. While campaigners noted that this figure marked a slight increase from the previous election, they were swift to add that it was also indicative of the work that remained to be done.
“It’s progress, but it’s slow progress,” said Women for Election, which promotes women’s participation in Irish politics.
The National Women’s Council of Ireland said the results meant there was still “no breakthrough for women” in Irish politics.
“The results show that, in isolation, the gender quota will not be enough to achieve equal representation for women,” said Orla O’Connor, the council’s director. “There is evidence that many women were added late to the ticket to make up the gender quota.
“We are calling on all political parties to ensure women candidates are selected as early as possible to ensure they have sufficient time, support and resources for their election campaign,” she added.
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