Press Release:

Historic Milestone As Record Number of Women Candidates Set to Run in 2024 General Election

For Immediate Release

18th October 2024

Women for Election (WfE) is delighted to confirm that the upcoming General Election will see the largest ever number of women contesting for seats – 165 women so far – based on the number of women selected to date by Political Parties or announcing their intention to run as Independent candidates.

This historic milestone comes as Ireland prepares for its first general election with a candidate gender quota for Political Parties of 40% men and 40% women candidates.

“It is good news for the health of our democracy that more women than ever before are stepping forward to participate in the democratic process, to represent their communities and to bring their voices and experiences to our national parliament”, said Brian Sheehan, CEO of Women for Election.

“We commend these women candidates for their courage, their commitment to public service and their determination to making a difference in their communities, despite the recognised challenges women face when considering politics.”

Ireland ranks 103rd in the world for the number of women in the national Parliament, with just 23% of TDs who are women, a total of 37 of the 160 TDs in the current Dáil. Women make up 50% of the population but just over one in five current TDs are women.

“When our political institutions are so unrepresentative of the population, they struggle to truly serve the population’s interests. The upcoming General Election offers voters a vital opportunity to reshape our democracy by electing many more talented, capable women and changing the face of our Parliament and Government.”

The record number of women candidates reflects the ongoing efforts by Political Parties and organisations like Women for Election to address the persistent gender imbalance in Irish politics. In 2016, the first election with a candidate gender quota, of 30%, the number of women contesting the General Election almost doubled, with a 40% increase in women

elected. That gain was maintained in the General Election in 2020, which also had a candidate gender quota of 30%.

With 165 women already selected, the coming weeks will see even more women declared as candidates, offering voters a wider choice of talented, capable women to represent them.

“More women at decision-making tables makes politics work better for everyone. A balanced and more representative democracy where both men and women contribute equally to policymaking and leadership leads to more effective and inclusive decisions, benefitting everyone in Ireland” concluded Sheehan.

For more details on the candidates selected so far by gender and Party, see the Women For Election Candidate Tracker at our website here.

ENDS.

CONTACTS: · Katie Deegan – katie@womenforelection.ie  Brian Sheehan – brian@womenforelection.ie

EDITORS NOTES:

· A tracker with full details of all candidates selected to date, including by Party and gender, along with details of past elections is on the Women for Election Website.

· Women for Election is dedicated to increasing the representation of women in Irish politics through non-partisan support and training, and advocacy for systemic change