"Do we need gender quotas to ensure women are fairly represented?"

[Christine Murray]

The above question is tomorrow being fielded to a panel of four women at the Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson Street, D2.

I am going and sure I'll give a blow by blow account of proceedings here afterwards.

Speakers:

Nessa Childers, MEP
Orla O Connor, NWCI
Elaine Byrne, Irish Times/TCD
Gail Mc Elroy, TCD

11.00am-12.30pm at the RIA, 19 Dawson Street , D2.

One of the most persistent themes of the National Women's Council of Ireland's International Women's Day
celebrations was the lack of political representation of women. Sylvia Meehan exhorted women to join political
parties and to ask door-steppers to ensure that party leaders are taking this issue seriously. It's called androcentrism
when women's prime advocac y is supporting the status quo and though it may feel uniquely Irish, it is a common
problem throughout the developed world.

I am linking here to the IWD thread and will update on the debate after the meeting.

details: marie.quinn@europarl.europa.eu / 016057900

Related link: http://www.politics.ie/current-affai...march-8th.html

[Schuhart]

Its really not that hard a question to resolve. If women need quotas, then they're not suitable to be representatives.

[hammer]

No quotas needed.

They are fairly represented.

1 womans ability = 3 mens ability

[cyberianpan]

It begs the questions:

Do women need special representation ?
Could only women perform this special representation ?

Then for example do {gays, midgets , fat people, country people, bricklayers, old people etc} need special representation ?

cYp

[hammer]

We had a midget but he was forced to resign

[He3]

If we elected 166 women to the next Dáil, from a slate of candidates selected even at random from the ranks of women in the home, in community development, in the professions, in education, signing on or in business, we might just turn this country around.

[Schuhart]

If we elected 166 women to the next Dáil, from a slate of candidates selected even at random from the ranks of women in the home, in community development, in the professions and in business, we might just turn this country around.

You mean so we could take it up both ends?

[bored and fussy]

this quetion puzzles me
women are their own worst enemies, always looking for this and that,
I say just do it, if you are good at your job go for it but dont expect special treatment

Why do women alway want to be equal with men why not just be equal.
Point of information i am a woman and would prefer to work for a man any day i feel i get a fairer deal than from women bosses they are too insecure

[paulp]

The above question is tomorrow being fielded to a panel of four women at the Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson Street, D2.

I am going and sure I'll give a blow by blow account of proceedings here afterwards.

Speakers:

Nessa Childers, MEP
Orla O Connor, NWCI
Elaine Byrne, Irish Times/TCD
Gail Mc Elroy, TCD

11.00am-12.30pm at the RIA, 19 Dawson Street , D2.

One of the most persistent themes of the National Women's Council of Ireland's International Women's Day
celebrations was the lack of politicalrepresentation of women. Sylvia Meehan exhorted women to join political
parties and to ask door-steppers to ensure that party leaders are taking this issue seriously. It's called androcentrism
and though it may feel uniquely Irish, it is a common problem throughout the developed world.

I am linking here to the IWD thread and will update on the debate after the meeting.

details: marie.quinn@europarl.europa.eu / 016057900

Related link: http://www.politics.ie/current-affai...march-8th.html

what do you think Christine, do we nee quotas?

[liamfoley]

A better solution to reserving 50% of the seats in parliament (not democratic, as it limits peoples choices) is ensuring women have 50% representation on the panels that choose candidates. It would not require any legislation, it would require the political parties to no longer pay lip service to representation. The Greens & Labor need to do something like that and either put up or shut up.