FF expects ‘resentment’ over efforts to get women onto ticket

Some “resentment” is expected among the older generation of Fianna Fáil grassroots members over the party’s efforts to get more women involved.

The party launched its Action Plan on Gender Equality, which aims not only to get more women on the ticket for local and general elections but also to encourage women to take up internal leadership positions, including constituency chairs.

Party leader Micheál Martin accepted that “resentment can emerge” if people feel they are being overlooked for a young female candidate. However, he said achieving more balance was “essential” to the party’s renewal.

“Even in areas where we have elected representatives, the idea of balance on the ticket has to get through, that is something we have to continually sell to the party,” he said. Under the plan:

*Mr Martin will write to all female members to encourage them to go forward as election candidates;

*At least 33% of all local area representatives will be female;

*The party will hold a women’s conference later in the year;

*A mentoring scheme will be put in place to give advice to younger women getting involved in politics.

Of the 19 Fianna Fáil TDs, none are female. However, Mr Martin promised the party will introduce more policies in the Dáil to promote equality, including reforms of the maternity leave system so that it can be shared by both parents.

Senator Averil Power — one of Fianna Fáil’s two female parliamentary party members — said: “We want to not just ensure that women get elected, but we want to ensure that women stay in politics. There is a need to ensure that Leinster House is more family-friendly.”

The Action Plan proposes an entitlement to “newborn child leave” for political representatives, arrangements to allow remove voting by TDs and Senators, and changes to working hours of both Houses.

A plan launched by the party in 2004 failed to meet targets of having 20% of female candidates general elections and 25% in local elections.

Research on why the plan failed identified a “masculinist, and sometimes overtly sexist, culture within the party” prevented many women candidates from being selected to contest elections.

Mr Martin also said there was no manifestation yet that the decision by the majority of his parliamentary party to vote against the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill would put women off the party.

“There is no discernible sense that this issue has had any impact, in the opinion polls, on any party,” he said.