Press Release: Senator Bacik calls for Gender Quota Legislation

SENATOR BACIK CALLS FOR GENDER QUOTA LEGISLATION

Labour Party Seanad Spokesperson on Justice, Equality and Law Reform
17th September, 2010

Speaking at a conference on women's political representation hosted by
University College Cork on Saturday 18th September, Senator Ivana Bacik will
address the topic of gender quotas as a way of improving women's representation
in Irish politics. Outlining the recommendations of the Oireachtas Justice
Committee's 2009 report on women's participation in politics, Senator Bacik
will say:

“Our research for the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Law
Reform has clearly shown that, in order to increase the levels of women's
participation in politics, legislation will be necessary requiring political
parties to select more women candidates. Currently Ireland ranks at 84th
position in the world rankings of women in parliament – an appalling figure,
below that of many sub-Saharan African countries and at the bottom of the
European league tables. Our position has actually worsened over the last
decade, and this lack of democratic representation means that our democracy is
effectively ‘unfinished'.”

Calling for the report's recommendations to be implemented, Senator Bacik will
say:

“Legislation requiring that at least one-third of the candidates selected by any
political party should be women must be introduced as a matter of urgency, or
else we will see Ireland slipping even further down the world rankings tables.
Our democracy will remain unfinished.”

ENDS