Labour party has a better gender balance

SENATOR Frances Fitzgerald urges political parties to make sure more women enter the political decision-making process (February 12).

Currently 35% of Labour’s TDs are women. This compares well with Fianna Fáil (8%) and Fine Gael (9%). There lies the problem: the bigger parties with the biggest membership do not produce enough women candidates.

It seems neither FF nor FG is doing enough to give women opportunities. Or perhaps women do not find FF or FG are parties they want to be involved with possibly due to the lack of women-friendly practices. Or perhaps Labour’s policies are more attractive to women who therefore naturally gravitate towards us.

The Labour party supports linking political State funding with better gender balance. All parties would be obliged to bring in more women candidates, thus making it beneficial for parties to seek women who have the potential to stand for election.

Labour has also introduced internal gender rules obliging the party to give women the chance to run in elections.

Labour Women look forward to hearing what proposals Enda Kenny makes to guarantee that all political parties bring more women into political decision-making.

Sinéad Ní Chulacháin

Chair

Labour Women

17 Ely Place

Dublin 2