Search for Ireland’s newest politicians is launched 

Women for Election, a non-partisan non-governmental organisation which is working to achieve full representation of a diversity of women in Irish politics, is expanding a national campaign to get more women elected in the local elections in 2024.

A public appeal is being made across Ireland to help identify and encourage women to run in the next local elections.

With Ireland sitting in the bottom 6 countries in Europe with very high levels of male participation in politics (76% of councillors elected in 2019 were men) , there is a real opportunity for change to be realised over the coming 12 months.

Recent national research undertaken by Amárach on behalf of Women for Election shows that when asked to “think of your male and female relations and imagine a scenario where you had to select one who would be suited to go into politics, regardless of party, would that person be” one third of respondents answered female and a quarter answered male.

This research indicates that one third of the population are likely to know a female relative whom they would consider for politics.

The #CountHerIn campaign encourages people across Ireland to encourage women in their family, community and workplace to get involved in politics and to consider running for election or taking the next step towards being a public representative.

The #CountHerIn campaign was first launched on February 4th 2022 to honour the birthday of Countess Constance Markievicz, one of Ireland’s most prolific feminist voices from the 20th century and who was the first woman ever elected to the British House of commons.

The campaign is being scaled up in 2023 to attract a lot more women into politics in advance of the local elections in 2024.

Women for Election says their vision is an Ireland with full participation by women in Irish politics.

With just 24% female councillors elected in the last local elections, a lot more women need to be selected into winnable seats in the 2024 elections.

Women for Election also say they want to see 1,000 women on the ticket in the 2024 local elections and they want these women to reflect the diversity of women in Irish society and all parties putting ‘meaningful supports behind these women to help them to succeed and enter political life.’

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said “When we fail to provide equal opportunities and access for women into politics, we miss out on a truly representative democracy.

“We limit our economic, cultural and political progress.

“We perpetuate outdated stereotypes and prejudices that hold us all back.

“That is why I am supporting Women for Election and their Count Her in campaign, and I look forward to seeing more women come forward to contest the local elections in 2024.”

CEO from Women for Election Caitriona Gleeson has said “It is very important to have the support of An Taoiseach and other leaders of political parties.

“We are really eager to get as much momentum behind female candidates heading into 2024.

“It is important as many women as possible are given the opportunity to run.

“We know, from research, women tend to need to be asked and encouraged to run more than male counterparts.

“That’s why we’re asking people to look around their kitchen table, their community halls and workplaces and ask themselves would they run?

“CountHerIn is a campaign to encourage women to put themselves forward and for people to nudge others to go for it”