Heavin calls for gender quotas in next local elections

A local councillor is calling for gender quotas to be introduced ahead of the 2024 local elections.

Green Cllr Louise Heavin highlighted the issue in a motion at Monday's deferred meeting of Athlone Moate Municipal District, appealing for support to write to the Minister for Local Government Darragh O'Brien.

She said the gender quotas introduced for the last Dáil election worked quite well. "They have increased the number of female-elected representatives to the Dáil and I feel it's time we look at our local elections and try and do likewise."

The Citizen's Assembly have considered gender quotas and 88% of members have agreed that they should be implemented at local level.

For the last local elections in the region, just 20% of the candidates were women. Cllr Heavin also made reference to the fact that she is only female in the chamber.

"Women make up 50% of the population so it would have huge benefits. People will have choice. At the moment people don't have choice," stated Cllr Heavin.

"We do have capable women. They're just not getting the pathway through. We just need to give a chance. Once that chance is given we'll soon see the merit of women in local government."

Cllr Heavin believes that introducing gender quotas in local elections would help encourage women to enter politics and result in more women being elected to the Dáil. She hopes to increase diversity and the number of women in government positions.

Cllr John Dolan supported the motion and said he has seen gender quotas work in his party. "It's not an easy job to get either males or females to run."

Mayor Cllr Vinny McCormack suggested that the Minister for Local Government Darragh O'Brien give a presentation with his thoughts on gender quotas going forward and to answer questions from the councillors. He also said that the lifestyle of a public representative was not conducive or attractive to bringing women into politics which must be addressed in the future. Cllr McCormack suggested inviting someone from the National Women's council to the chamber for a discussion on gender quotas.

Cllr Heavin also stated that in the last local elections 15 people ran in Athlone with just three women running including the councillor herself. "Any party that previously had seats did not run a female candidate, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin."

The Athlone-based councillor feels that traditionally people didn't have a choice to vote for a woman with the candidates offered by the bigger parties.

"We currently don't have any gender quotas at local elections. Looking across Ireland we have 25% female local councillors. I can't believe that there isn't another 25% of women who are just as capable as the men to take those positions. "

"Gender quotas work. They're in place in more than half the countries in the world. More women at board level, more women in chamber, more women in executive positions help the atmosphere and the decision-making process," she ended.