Political Equality and Decision Making

Update: For NWCI coverage of the General Election 2011, click here.

Women are under-represented at all levels of decision making in Ireland; in government, local government (including partnerships), state institutions, at community level, trade unions, health boards and across the private sector.

Women's experience of power in Ireland is complex, however, and some women enjoy privileges that other women are denied, benefiting from current inequalities in power relations. In particular, groups that experience oppressions rooted in class, sexuality, disability and race draw attention to the power inequalities between women.

In order to remedy this, it is the goal of the NWCI is to achieve:

  • Stronger, more participatory politics where different groups of women can collectively claim a place in political life and thereby influence the distribution of resources
  • Empowerment of women through self-organisation, the creation of safe spaces where women can gain the tools for personal and collective change, and the development of new and more equal practices

In summary, social justice requires a restructuring of social structures and institutions to enable true equality for women which, in turn will sustain and support human welfare.

Why is women's representation in decision-making an issue for women's equality?

In Ireland the under-representation of women in decision-making remains resistant to change. All public decision-making institutions continue to be male dominated. Although the position of women in the public service has improved, they are still significantly underrepresented in the top management positions. The percentage of women in the Dail has plateaued at 13%, and following the 2009 Local Government Elections, female representation is now at 16%.

In the private sector, boardrooms remain largely male dominated, as are the senior executive positions. Trades Unions also reflect this general trend, most notably in the case of Unions representing professions that are predominantly female. Likewise, within the judiciary where, with the exception of the Supreme Court, all other Courts continue to be male dominated.

The impact of inequality in the system can be seen in the following:

  • Only 13% of those elected to the Dail are women.
  • This percentage has risen by only 1% over the past 10 years.
  • At this rate, it will take 370 years for the percentage of women in the Dail to reach 50%.
  • The percentage of women appointed to the Cabinet in this Government has declined by 7% while the percentage of women Ministers of State has decreased by 11%.
  • Only 17% of those elected to the Seanad are women.
  • Only 16% of elected Councillors are women.
  • The percentage of women appointed to State boards has rarely reached 40% although this has been an official Government guideline since 1991.
  • The 'Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes' An Bord SNIP) consisted of 5 men and one woman.
  • The Commission on Taxation consisted of 13 men and 5 women.
  • The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance and Public Service consists of 16 men and just one woman.

What is NWCI doing about this issue

Since our establishment in 1973, the NWCI has been concerned at the on-going exclusion of women from key political decision-making structures at local, national and international levels. Over the past number of years the NWCI has undertaken a range of projects (some supported by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform) and initiatives to highlight the unacceptably low levels of women's political representation and to encourage and support women to use their voices to bring about change and true equality.