Female politicians highlight struggle to get on ballot

SENIOR female politicians have pointed to internal constituency battles as a bigger obstacle to gender equality than winning votes on polling day.

Labour’s Joan Burton said the shortage of women elected to the Oireachtas owes a lot to problems faced by perspective candidates at a local level.

“I think it is something people who work in Leinster House lose sight of — the enormous battle women face just to get on the ballot in constituencies,” she said.