The politics of getting women elected

EFFORTS to eliminate poverty in Africa and Asia are being undermined by the fact that women do not participate on equal terms with men in public and political life.

The politics of getting women elected

As world leaders gather at the UN to decide a new global development framework to follow the Millennium Development Goals, women’s participation and influence should be central to their discussions. There are lessons to be learned from the experience of Irish women in public life, and lessons we can learn from the experience of low-income countries as Ireland prepares for the introduction of gender quotas.

Worldwide, women make up just 20% of national parliaments; 17% of government ministers, and only 13 heads of government. This underrepresentation is not limited to countries in the developing world, and Ireland is currently ranked 89th in the world for female political participation.

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