Bacik Announces Celebration Tomorrow of Historic Election's 95th Anniversary

Statement:

 
Tomorrow, Tuesday 28th January, Senator Ivana Bacik has arranged an event for women Oireachtas members in the Seanad chamber to mark the 95th anniversary of the 1918 General Election (14th December 1918).

Senator Bacik said today:

“I am delighted that so many of my women colleagues will be taking part in this commemorative event tomorrow 28th January. It will consist of the reading of a speech about women’s right to vote, given by Constance Markievicz in the lead-up to the 1918 election. An official photograph will be taken of the event.

“In December 2008, I organised a similar event, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the 1918 election. That event consisted of a ceremony that took place in the Dáil Chamber on 9th December 2008. All living former and current women TDs and Senators were invited to attend the Chamber on that date for the reading of the speech by Constance Markievicz and the taking of a photograph of all those women present. I recently obtained permission for that photograph to be displayed on the walls of Leinster House, and it is now displayed on the corridor opposite the Captain’s office.

“This year, it is important that we mark this historic anniversary again, both by celebrating and honouring the many women who have been elected to the Dáil and Seanad since 1918, but also by noting how small the numbers of women are as a proportion of our elected representatives overall. More must be done to encourage women to enter political life - and events like this may help to raise awareness about the need for more women to enter political life.

“There are currently 26 women TDs out of 166 (26%); and 19 women Senators out of 60 (32%). If all 45 of us are present in the Seanad chamber tomorrow, the 60-seat chamber will then have a majority of women representatives present for the first time ever.”

ENDS