With the local election due to take place in June, Duleek based Independent Senator Sharon Keogan has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage and help more women to put their name forward to get involved in politics.
With funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the campaign will include a talk in CityNorth Hotel Gormanston, on Saturday, 3rd February.
The event will contain exploratory workshops with industry leaders within Ireland that will help independent women councillors with campaign photography, online safety and protecting your reputation online, branding and messaging, fundraising for your campaign, building your campaign and canvassing strategy.
Guest speakers will include mentor and consultant Orlaith Carmody, journalist Brenda Power, Co-owner of Camroni Social Lesley Richards, online safety trainer and motivational Wayne Denner and owner of Harrison Media Mark Harrison.
“Women’s participation in political and public decision-making has increased in Ireland in past decades” said Senator Keogan. “Women represent a rather homogenous group: women from under-represented groups, including young women, women with disabilities, LGBTI women, and ethnic minority women, all of whom are less visible and have access to leadership positions.
“They face multiple obstacles to participation, such as discrimination, weight of prejudice, risk of violence, fear of stigmatisation, barriers within political parties, societal pressure, unequal sharing of care responsibilities, lack of recognition of their skills, lack of accessibility and lack of money. Quotas, training, mentorship programmes, investing in accessibility, measures for the selection of candidates, gender-sensitive policies, and the promotion of role models and actions to combat and prevent violence against women in politics can contribute to increasing their participation.”
The Schedule for the event in CityNorth Hotel (and another which is taking place in the Tullamore Court Hotel on March 10) is listed below:
- 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Mark Harrison
- 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Lesley Richards
- 1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Lunch
- 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Brenda Power
- 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Lesley Richards / Senator Sharon Keogan + any TDs present.
Women who want to run in the local election are welcome to attend and can contact Senator Keogan at Sharon.Keogan@oireachtas.ie
