Opinion: Women do run for election and women can get elected

In over 100 years only five women have ever been elected to Dáil Eireann by the people of the Longford/Westmeath constituency.

Nationally since 1918 a total of 131 women have been elected as TDs but almost two in every five women have been elected to represent Dublin constituencies.

Women make up 50% of the population but they still do not have equal representation at the decision-making tables with women only accounting for 23% of TDs while at a local level only 26% of county councillors throughout the country are women.

Ireland ranks 104th in the world for the number of women at national parliament level. Women are still starkly under-represented in both local and national politics in rural Ireland in particular.

There is currently only one outgoing female TD in the five-seater Longford/Westmeath constituency while there are only two female county councillors out of 18 at local level.

The fact remains, women do run for election and women can get elected.

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Since gender quotas were first introduced in the 2016 general election it marked the most significant increase in the number of women elected to Dáil Eireann since the foundation of the State. There was a 90% increase in the number of female candidates and almost one third of an increase in the number of female TDs.

It's not about women being better than men- it’s about having balanced decision making and bringing the voices and lived experiences of women into the Oireachtas.

Our Dáil chamber should look more like a microcosm of the society it represents. This will benefit all of society as it will hopefully make for more rounded and balanced decision making.

There is a record number of women running in General Election 2024 so when the voters go to the polls on November 29 they have a chance to do something about the low numbers of female TDs in their area. A total of 247 women will put their names on ballot papers which accounts for 36% of candidates. This is a marked increase of 52% on the number of women (162) who ran for the Dáil in 2016.

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Nine women have put themselves forward for election in the five-seater Longford/Westmeath constituency which accounts for 45% of candidates. Female candidates include Deputy Sorca Clarke (Sinn Féin), Louise Heavin (Independent),Carol Okeke (Green Party), Laura O’Neill (Aontú), Fidelma Bennett (Labour Party), Tanya Cannon (Fine Gael), Dympna Cunniffe (Fianna Fáil), Margaret Alacoque Maguire (Ireland First) and Charlotte Keenan (Independent).
Six women will go before the electorate in the neighbouring constituency of Cavan/Monaghan and they account for 30% of candidates. In the 4-seater Sligo/Leitrim constituency women make up 39% of candidates while 36% of candidates in the Roscommon/Galway constituency are women.

See Her Elected is a programme under Longford Women’s Link and funded by the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government. It is built on the ethos of women learning and supporting each other, providing them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to participate in electoral politics.
See Her Elected is providing a pathway for women in rural Ireland into local and national politics. Indeed, many women who availed of training and support from See Her Elected for this year’s local elections have now gone forward for the General Election.

A number of sitting county councillors are also running in the General Election and if they are successful a significant number of council seats could be vacated.

This is a golden opportunity for all parties with council vacancies to increase the number of female councillors by having equity in political representation as the guiding principle when going through the co-option process. This will not only create an immediate increase in female representation in local government, but will also ensure women co-opted into vacant seats will have their 2029 local election chances significantly boosted.

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Looking back at the history of the five female TDs ever elected in Longford/Westmeath the trailblazer and matriarch, the late Mary O’Rourke (Fianna Fáil) was first elected to the Dáil in 1982 and went on to hold senior cabinet positions. Mae Sexton (Progressive Democrats) was elected to the former Longford/Roscommon constituency in 2002 while the late Nicky McFadden was elected to the Dáil for Fine Gael in Longford/Westmeath in 2011. Following Nicky McFadden’s tragic death from motor neurone disease her sister Gabrielle McFadden held onto the seat for Fine Gael in 2014. Sinn Féin’s Sorca Clarke was elected in 2020 and is only the fifth ever woman to represent the constituency at Dáil Eireann.

The truth is women are very often the backbone of rural Ireland and there are so many capable and accomplished women with a great track record in community work in every town and parish of the Longford/Westmeath constituency. Some of them are coming to a ballot paper near you soon.

Lanesboro native, Mairead O’Shea (pictured) is the Communications Manager for See Her Elected