Just 25 per cent of Irish Councillors in Irish local authorities are women which is just one or two percent better than Dáil Éireann where 36 of the 160 TD are females.
In a bid to achieve a better female representation in the 2024 local elections, Women for Election, a non-partisan NGO which is working to achieve full representation of a diversity of women in Irish politics, is holding a national conference in Cork on May 26 to discuss solutions to make politics more accessible, inclusive, safe and equal for women across Ireland.
The Count Her In Conference will showcase new innovations being launched by Women for Election as well as creating spaces for dialogue and new thinking.
There will be a series of panel discussions, speeches from political leaders and the launch of the Women for Election DataHub. Supported and curated by AIRO (Maynooth University), Claire Mc Ging, Dr. Fiona Buckley and Dr. Lisa Keenan. MC for the day will be Ciara Phelan from The Irish Examiner.
This data hub is a dive into comprehensive repository of statistical data, curated to provide you with unparalleled insights into the state of gender equality in Irish Politics. With this powerful resource at your fingertips, you can make informed decisions, drive meaningful change, and contribute to a more equitable future for all.
This is the first time this data has been gathered and centralised in one place that is accessible to everyone. It will show the story of gender equality in Ireland and the amount of work still to do.
The list of speakers includes:
- New Zealand’s Ambassador to Ireland, Trevor Mallard
- Finnish Ambassador Raili Lahnalampi
- Ciara Phelan
- Lord Mayor of Cork, Deirdre Forde
- Senator Eileen Flynn
- Deputy Holly Cairns
- Caitriona Gleeson CEO Women for Election
- Dr Salome Mbugua AKIDWA
- Minister of State Kieran O’Donnell
- Eric Ehigie Black and Irish
- Maria Joyce National Travellers Womens Forum
- Deputy Ivana Bacik
- Claire Mc Ging IADT
- Dr Fiona Buckley UCC
- Dr Lisa Keenan Trinity
- Justin Gleeson AIRO, Maynooth University
- Prof Yvonne Galligan TU Dublin
- Deputy Mary Lou Mc Donald
- Deputy Brid Smith
- Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi
- Green Party, Fianna Fáil and other speakers to be confirmed
For more information about the conference, see: https://www.womenforelection.ie/conference-2023/
