THE FIVE CS

Women who wish to join politics face five central challenges.

CONFIDENCE Having the confidence to back yourself and ask others to do the same is one of the biggest hurdles women face. Ciairín notes that this is also about having the confidence to ask for support from friends and loved ones. “They may be waiting for you to start the conversation.”

CHILDCARE There’s still plenty of debate regarding childcare and maternity leave when in public office. If you are a parent or planning on being one while you hold office, you do need to ensure you have support behind you, whether that be a partner, parents or friends.

CASH Ciairín points out that this is often envisioned as a bigger barrier than it actually is. “I think it’s probably the one area where American politics haven’t done us any favours. You do need some cash to run a campaign, but it’s a relatively small amount.”

CULTURE Politics is traditionally a male-dominated sphere, which can inhibit female participation. It’s a case of needing support in order to give support, but more women in politics will dilute this attitude.

CANDIDATE SELECTION

An incumbent will always have the advantage, and it can be a complicated nomination process. Sourcing materials about the selection conventions can be tricky if you don’t know where to look. Women for Election is a great information bank.