"We need more women in politics’: a guest post by the National Women’s Council of Ireland
Published: Monday, December 19, 2011
Eóin Murray,
National Women's Council of Ireland
Irish women have this week been left with a bittersweet taste in their mouths after the release of a bill designed to get more women involved in politics.
The historic Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011 designates mandatory targets for all political parties, stipulating that they run 30% women and 30% men in subsequent general elections or lose half their funding.
However, while redressing a long-standing imbalance, the bill comes only days after a slash and burn austerity budget which has targeted women, lone parents and women's organisations.
Indeed the National Women's Council of Ireland, the watchdog for women's rights in Ireland, has seen its budget cut by a savage 35%.
Despite the international attention and acclaim given to Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese (two of our former Heads of State), Irish women have been woefully under-represented at almost every level of politics.