Women for Election calls on all political parties to seize the opportunity of the Seanad elections to redress the poor gender balance in the Oireachtas following the Dáil elections, where just 25% of TDs are women.
“Women for Election are calling on all political parties to implement a voluntary gender quota of at least 40% women and 40% men in their selection of candidates to contest the Seanad Elections, mirroring the General Election quota”, said Brian Sheehan, CEO of Women for Election.
“Women make up over half the population, yet they remain hugely underrepresented in the political decisions that shape all our lives. The Seanad election offers an opportunity to ensure the voices, skills and lived experiences of women are at the heart of national decision making. Politics works better when there is a balance of men and women involved.
“Progress towards a gender balance in politics isn’t inevitable; it has to be intentional. If a core aim of all Parties is to have a gender balance in their Parliamentary Parties, then the proof will be in the selection of Seanad candidates.
“The Dáil is the first part of a gender balanced Oireachtas. The General Election edged towards better balance, but the pace of change is far too slow to ensure an effective and trusted democracy. Just 25% of recently elected TDs are women, despite a record number of women running. The results across parties were mixed, with Sinn Féin returning a very good 39% women TDs and Fianna Fáil returning 15% women TDs. The Seanad election offers parties another opportunity to get it right and have gender balanced parliamentary parties.
There are 43 Seanad seats up for election on five vocational panels. Candidates on those panels are nominated to stand for election by either political parties or by outside bodies. The voters for those 43 seats are the 174 incoming TDs, 60 outgoing Senators and the 949 City and County Councillors across the country. The Taoiseach appoints an additional 11 Senators, which after the 2020 Seanad Election had 9 women, including the first Traveller to serve in the Oireachtas – Senator Eileen Flynn.
“There are very many talented, capable women in every party. Women for Election urges all parties to look to that pool of women when selecting candidates for nominations to contest the Seanad Elections, so that the Seanad electorate have the opportunity to vote for more women”, concluded Sheehan.