Wigmore - under-representation of women in politics

THE GENERAL Election was a disaster for women, There are now even fewer women public representatives. Two of the best women deputies are gone. Women's issues played no role whatsoever in the campaign. The only women's group that managed to organise at all was the Women's Poliitical Association, and its effect was minimal. By Pat Brennan

To start with, there were fewer women candidates in this election, 28 from the three main parties commpared with 36 in 1981. Labour cut women's potential participation by half, running only 5 candidates. Fianna Fail increased their number by 1 making a total of II, and Fine Gael dropped from 16 in 1982 to 12 in '82.

Fianna Fail selected six new women, while there was only one new face on the Fine Gael ticket - Rita Boyle (Dublin North West).

Ironically, women's share of the vote was nearly the same this time as it was- in 1981 (6.5%). Some women inncreased their vote, only to lose their seats. Eileen Lemass, Fianna Fail's strongest feminist, increased her vote from 4,953 to 5,662 but was still ousted by fellow party mem ber Liam Lawlor, who nearly doubled his vote after an intensive campaign for Leemass's seat.

On the Fine Gael side, another casualty was Madeleine Taylor. She increased her vote from 5,881 to 6,602, but still lost the seat to runnning mate Donal Carey. In the same constituency Labour candidate Patricia McCarthy managed a disappointing 1,957 votes.

Other women lost from the Dail are Alice Glenn (FG) in Dublin Central who lost her seat to the Independent Tony Gregory (although she increaased her vote by 433), and Carrie Acheeson (FF) in South Tipperary whose vote dropped by I ,087 (she too lost her seat to a party colleague).

The only gain for women was in the election of Senator Gemma Hussey whose vote in Wicklow jumped from 5,524 to 7,112.

The 1981 election was heralded as a great breakthrough for women, but the breakthrough was dependent on several factors (factors which have not been sustained, hence the appalling results in 1982). First, the main poliitical parties recognised that there were votes in women's issues and women's candidates and began at least to pay lip service to the issues and make sure that women were on the ticket.

But more importantly, there was perceptible pressure from women's groups which ensured that the issues of importance to women were discussed. Women's groups have not kept this pressure up and the result has been a legacy of unfulfilled election proomises. Another result is that fewer women have been elected. It is an indication of how many of the women candidates underestimated their need for a strong women's movement to keep the pressure on and the issues to the fore.

Also, the women who fared best were the women who were most forceeful in the Dail (excluding Eileen Lemass who was very articulate on women's issues in the last Dail). Nuala Fennell has learned this lesson and has promised to be even more active in the next Dail.

All told, women have lost two able representatives in Eileen Lemass and Madeleine ray lor and two less outtstanding ones in Carrie Acheson and Alice Glenn. The only gain is Gemma Hussey.

However, if Fianna Fail forms the next government, women will be woefully under-represented. Maire Gcooghegan-Quinn's feminist track record at cabinet level last time was dismall. That leaves Mary Harney to do it all on her own.