4620: Ireland, 10/24/2025, Irish Presidency

Women’s voices and experiences are crucial for the functioning of our democracy. Yet, despite many women’s roles as community leaders right across the island, they remain significantly underrepresented in our political system North and South.

A UNITED NATIONS committee has highlighted the low representation of woman in the Dáil and at Cabinet as “priority issues” that must be addressed by the state.

Voting began on Friday morning in Ireland's general election amid a tight race between the incumbent coalition parties

As we approach the 2024 election, Women for Election is calling for a crucial shift in Ireland’s political landscape, urging voters in Wexford and Wicklow-Wexford to support the record number of female candidates standing for election.

Women are "grossly under-represented" in Irish politics and the political system is "stacked in men's favour", a seminar exploring female representation in local politics has heard. 

Funding of €171,162 has been announced for the Longford-based See Her Elected (SHE), in support of their work in supporting and encouraging the participation of women from rural Ireland in local politics.

See Her Elected, an initiative aimed at getting more women from rural Ireland into politics, has said the impending general election is a "golden opportunity" to increase female participation in local councils.

A record number of women candidates are expected to run in June's local elections.

So far, 649 women have been selected or declared for the contests.

Ireland lags far behind most European countries when it comes to women representation in the national parliament despite the introduction of a 40% candidate gender quota for the Irish general election held on 29 November 2024

Online abuse of female politicians is becoming more extreme and is having an impact in discouraging prospective female candidates.

IRELAND does not have enough women in political life.

AN ELECTED member of Cork County Council, who has announced her intention not to run again, has said she received a death threat and online abuse during her two terms as a councillor.

Normal
0
-->

Normal
0




false
-->

The Cork TD shared how she was left "absolutely terrified" after a stalker showed up at her home.

Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns has spoken about her experience with a stalker, and the level of abuse women in politics receive.

Gender quotas should be extended from national elections to the 2024 local government elections to ensure Ireland is in line with other European countries, new research has recommended.

Women running for election are more likely to be the victims of personalised, misogynistic abuse - online and at the doorstep - than their male counterparts.

Parties will have ensure 40% of their candidates in the next general election are women if they want to avoid a funding cut.

Just before Christmas, a government report highlighted that over half of the Irish population believes the most important role for a woman is to take care of her home and family. The most important role for a man, according to a significant proportion of the popu

The online abuse of women in politics is on the increase in Ireland, and has included threats of physical and sexual violence against them and their families, a study has found.

The appointment of only four senior female Cabinet Ministers is a “missed opportunity” directly linked to the lack of women candidates put forward in winnable seats across the State, women’s rights groups have said.

A TD says she left her home for a week after getting threatening phone calls in the middle of the night.

A women’s rights group will today, 9 June, launch a €35,000 crowdfunding plan to help female candidates in future elections after accusing the Government of failing to do enough to address the issue.

Why does a lower proportion of women get elected than stand for election? That was a key question posed at a meeting held in Dublin to discuss the barriers facing women entering politics, in the wake of the recent local elections.

Over 90 women parliamentarians from around the world, as well as members of Irish civil society groups, women in sport and in business have gathered at Dublin Castle for the first International Congress of Women's Caucuses.

"The proportion of women in national parliaments will be a key measure of success in achieving gender equality and would spur, in turn, further progress”, President Michael D Higgins has said.

Gender quotas should be introduced next year for the local elections, the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) has said.

Ireland’s Prime Minister, or Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny, has recently declared his intentions to constitute a parity government if he is to continue in power after the next elections.

Political Geographer, Ms.