Women in society - Equity is still a dream to be realised

THAT fewer than one-in-four – 12 out of 44 – of the Irish candidates standing for election to the European Parliament is a woman is a very poor reflection on how women have advanced in this society.

This paltry representation echoes a 2004 poll that placed Ireland 63rd on a league table that considered the number of women elected to political office in various countries. It might have been natural to expect that figure to evolve towards a more equitable balance, but last month we fell nearly 30 places to 88th in the latest worldwide poll. Amongst European parliaments, the Dáil has one of the lowest percentages of women members at about 13%. The EU average is 24% with the highest, Sweden, at 47%.

In Ireland, the country of the sophisticated and advanced electorate, we elect fewer women than Bolivia, Sudan, Cambodia or Kazakhstan. Irish women are amongst least successful – or the most effectively excluded – Europeans at getting elected to political office or even being nominated to stand for office.