Political parties in the Republic of Ireland must put 40% of women on their lists of candidates, 10% more than is currently required by law. The National Council for Women (NWC) assured this Monday that this change is “an important step” in the fight for gender equality in the field of politics, which is still dominated by men in this country.
Under the new legislation, political formations that fail to meet established quotas could lose up to 50% of the government funding they receive.
NWC director Orla O’Connor remembered that only 22.5% of the members of the lower house of parliament in Dublin are women and said she was confident parties would have “enough time” to reform their lists in time for the next general election, scheduled for 2025. “We know that it has been difficult for some formations to get 30% in the last election. But now they have time to prepare properly.said the activist.
O’Connor stressed that the quota policy will be effective in tackling gender inequality in Ireland, where women’s representation in the 2020 general election was lower than, say, China or Iraq.
“Women make up 50% of the population and it is very important that we are equally represented in decision-making on the most important issues that affect our lives”concluded O’Connor.
Source: DN
