Female candidates boldly going where few have gone before

How can we avoid the prospect of intimidatory or criminal behavior deterring more women from running for local elections, or any elections, at a time when we need more balanced decision-making in our county councils?

With a record number of more than 600 women going forward for this year’s upcoming local elections, they are boldly going where few have gone before. Currently, women only hold 26% of the county council seats around the country and there is a stark under representation of women in many rural counties.

But the reality is that many women who put themselves forward for election will face abuse just because they are women who want to enter the political domain. A recently published Oireachtas commissioned report on the abuse suffered by politicians showed that 94% of TDs and senators have endured some type of threat, harassment, or violence.