Dublin North Central Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Women in Politics

Women in politics

What can women bring to politics? In what ways might our society be different if more women were involved in making decisions that affect us all? Do women have a unique perspective which values things that might otherwise get 'lost'?

These are some of the questions you might ask when thinking about getting more involved in politics. Like many women, I have always been very interested in politics. I follow events at home and abroad closely and enjoy the chance to discuss them.

But anyone who listens to political discussions on radio or TV will notice that most of the people expressing their views on many important issues are male.

Women make up more than 50% of the population, yet we are not well represented in political life. The proportion of elected women in politics is still very low in most countries with Ireland performing below the European average at 13%. This is only a 1% increase since 1997. If we continue at that rate it will take hundreds of years to reach anything like equal representation. Also, the culture of how politics get done will be slower to change, making it harder for those women who have the interest and the talent to come forward and play a part. If politics continues to be dominated by men, then business interests, (another male stronghold) will continue to have undue influence on how our policies are shaped. That means that the environment, childcare, housing, and other issues affecting our communities will continue to be the poor relations until another crisis makes them centre-stage for a brief period. Fire-fighting is not the way to plan and create sustainable well thought-out policies - it usually just leads to another crisis.

It is so important that women get to have more of a voice in how our society is run. Consider the caring role - by virtue of being the principal carers in society, (one of the reasons we haven't been too active in politics), we know what it's like to look after the old, the sick, and those with disabilities. We know what changes need to be made to ensure a better quality of life for such groups. We are aware of the difficulties faced by those who are weaker and we well understand the restrictions that caring for young children may put on other activities. Many of these challenges could be overcome through more flexible and imaginative approaches and that brings me back to the original question - what women can bring to politics.

Women are generally regarded as having good listening skills, having empathy and 'people skills'. We understand that you have to negotiate, that life is about 'give and take' so that we all get to do some of what we want, a little bit of 'win-win' being better than winner (usually the one with most power) takes all. We can be very flexible and are apparently better at multitasking than men (definitely, I say). These are some of our strengths. It is often said that women are the backbone of a community. Much of community life is held together by women who tend to be very involved in many of the day-to-day activities concerning their families and immediate neighbourhood. We are natural net-workers with a flair for thinking outside the box for solutions. Yet we don't get involved in bigger politics - why not?


The reasons are not that difficult to understand. We have moved on from the time women had to fight for the right to vote (a right still denied them in many countries even today), but the cultural restraints that exclude women from what has traditionally been seen as 'men's work' are still alive and well. It's not enough to know that the barriers still exist, we have to challenge them and that takes energy and commitment. By accepting these obstacles and not struggling to overcome them, we are contributing to the very culture which is downgrading our role in society. And so the cycle continues. As in all new challenges, we may need to first address the issue of our own confidence. Building confidence takes time and often the support of others. However modest they may be, there is nothing like the satisfaction of achieving the targets you set yourself, or working together towards a common goal. Having role models is also important and maybe even seeing yourself as a role model for others in the future! It's also important that we get men on board so that gender equality becomes an issue for us all to tackle. Political life too must change to accommodate women if we are to claim our space in this arena. The pace of change is probably too slow for our liking but it has become a bit more women and family friendly. We will effect change more quickly by getting involved in politics at all levels, from local to national. Sinn Fein is committed to building an Ireland of equals. We are serious about supporting women in political life and will soon roll out a new programme aimed at tackling some of these barriers and supporting more women to take part in political life.