Why marginalise half the population?

TOM KINDLON (Letters, October 17) takes me to task for highlighting the low proportion of women (12%) in the Dáil.

He then asks “are we really moving towards sexual equality?”

My case is that it is to nobody’s benefit that the interests and talents of one half of the population are marginalised in what we like to call a representative democracy.

So the answer to his question has to be a definite “no”.

On the separate issue of victims of domestic violence, if I implied that it was just a women’s problem, I was wrong, and Mr Kindlon is right to take me up on it.

My letter (October 16) was in response to your editorial questioning whether we were a civilised society because we devoted so little resources to helping victims of domestic violence.

A better gender balance in the legislature would be a step towards a civilised society not because women would necessarily be any better as public representatives, but because it would be fairer if they were more adequately represented.

Anthony Leavy

1 Shielmartin Drive

Sutton

Dublin 13