MEP calls for more females in politics on Women’s Day
Fianna Fáil female politicians mark International Women's Day at Huntington Castle, Clonegal (front) cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy Co Wexford, cllr Deirdre Cullen Co Kilkenny, cllr Clare Colleran-Molloy Co Clare, India Kennedy Ógra FF Co Donegal, MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, minister Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, cllr Andrea Dalton Carlow and Kathleen Chada, (back) Sen Alison Comyn Co Louth, cllr Rita McInerney Co Clare, Aldagh McDonagh chairperson Women for Election, cllr Rachel Hartigan Co Clare, cllr Jenny Catt Slattery Co Kilkenny and Dr Jennifer Okeke chairperson National Women Council
POLITICS needs to change so that the young women of today can become the leaders of tomorrow. So stated Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, as she joined Fianna Fáil female colleagues at Huntington Castle and Gardens, Clonegal to mark International Women’s Day.
MEP Ní Mhurchú said we have a long way to go until women reach full parity in Irish politics. Huntington Castle was chosen as the location for the meeting because of its rich tradition of strong female leadership dating all the way back to Ailish O’Malley, the first chatelaine of Huntington Castle.
O’Malley was granddaughter of Grace O’Malley, Ireland’s pirate queen, noted for her fierce independence and rejection of the typical roles of women in the 16th century.
“Huntington Castle is the perfect backdrop from which to highlight the fact that women continue to face challenges in getting elected to political office, remaining in political office and succeeding in attaining high political office. We need to address working conditions and make political life a more attractive proposition for women,” said Ms Ní Mhurchú.
The figures prove that women continue to be under-represented in politics and public life in Ireland.
“There are currently 44 women TDs in Dáil Éireann, just 25% of the total. While I welcome their election, we need more female role models to lead the charge in Irish politics.”
Ms Ní Mhurchú feels it is important to recognise that we have made progress since the 1980s in Ireland, when women consistently made up under 5% of our representatives in Dáil Éireann. But she adds it is equally important to be alert and to check ourselves for all of our unconscious bias that is both internalised and systematised in our society’s structures that still compromises and diminishes women.
