Low numbers of women in politics under the spotlight
The under representation of women in politics will be discussed at a gathering the The Model next Monday.
50:50 North West, the regional branch of the national campaign for equal political representation, will host Helen Pankhurst and Michelle Sheehy Skeffington, granddaughters of Sylvia Pankhurst and Hannah Skeffington, in conversation with Carole Coleman, RTE journalist and broadcaster, in the Model on November 19 th.
Marian Harkin MEP will deliver the opening address, and an afternoon panel discussion, moderated by Alison O’Connor, journalist and broadcaster will explore causes and solutions for women’s under-representation in politics today, particularly in rural constituencies.
The panellists are: Martin Kenny TD, Catherine Martin TD, Minister Joe McHugh and Marc McSharry TD; Councillors: Sinead Guckian, Niamh Kennedy and Sinead Maguire; and Dr. Fiona Buckley, University College Cork, a co-founder of the national 50:50 campaign.
Michael Harding, playwright and novelist will share his reflections on women in politics and rural Ireland.
The seminar pays tribute to the courage and determination of those who struggled for and won suffrage rights for women, drawing inspiration and insight from their experience to feed into a timely and very relevant exploration of women and politics in contemporary Ireland.
“The proportionately low number of women political representatives elected in rural Ireland, and how this might be addressed in the future, will be a particular point of focus.
“It is hard to believe that we’ve only ever had two female TDs in this constituency since the foundation of the State,” said Nóirin Clancy, 50:50 North West.
“We look forward to hearing how the political parties plan to address this issue in forthcoming elections and particularly in this constituency.”
Tickets are €15 and available on Eventbrite or email: 5050northwest@gmail.com