the implementation of gender quotas presentation to the ibis, ucd conference ‘women in leadership...
TRANSCRIPT
The implementation of gender quotasPresentation to the IBIS, UCD Conference‘Women in Leadership North and South’
6 July 2015
Fiona Buckley
Department of Government University College Cork
Department of Government, University College Cork
Gender quotas: from adoption to implementation
• Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act, 2012– Payments calculated in accordance with this Part shall be reduced by 50 per cent,
unless at least 30 per cent of the candidates whose candidatures were authenticated by the qualified party at the preceding general election were women and at least 30 per cent were men.• Raises to 40% seven years after the next general election
• Who receives funding under the Electoral Act,1997?– In order to qualify for funding under the Electoral Acts, a political party must be
included in the Register of Political Parties and must have obtained at least 2% of the first preference votes at the last Dáil general election (SIPO, 2015).
• Reduction in Dáil seats from 166 to 158– Number of constituencies reduced from 43 to 40
Department of Government, University College Cork
% female and male candidates (4 July 2015)
Department of Government, University College Cork
Independents/Others
Fianna Fáil
Fine Gael
Sinn Féin
Labour
Total
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
31.3953488372093
21.875
37.1428571428571
37.2093023255814
38.8888888888889
32.7102803738318
68.6046511627907
78.125
62.8571428571429
62.7906976744186
61.1111111111111
67.2897196261682
% Women % Men
% female and male candidates (4 July 2015)
Irish Democratic Party*
WUAG*
Renua*
Anti-Austerity Alliance*
Fianna Fáil*
Independents
Independent Alliance
Fine Gael*
Sinn Féin*
Green Party*
Labour*
People Before Profit Alliance*
Worker's Party*
Irish Postmasters' Union
United Left*
1st Independent Mayo
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
0
0
20
20
21.875
29.0322580645161
30.7692307692308
37.1428571428571
37.2093023255814
37.5
38.8888888888889
40
50
100
100
0
100
100
80
80
78.125
70.9677419354839
69.2307692307692
62.8571428571429
62.7906976744186
62.5
61.1111111111111
60
50
0
0
0
% Women % Men
Department of Government, University College Cork
% women candidates, 2011; 2015 Feb 2011 July 2015 Number of candidate selections
completed
Women Candidates (%) Women Candidates (%)
Fine Gael 15.4 37.1 18 of 40 conventions completed
Fianna Fáil 14.7 21.9 24 of 40 conventions completed
Labour 26.5 38.9 16 of 40 conventions completed
Sinn Féin 19.5 37.2 36 of 40 conventions completed
Independents/Others 11.9 31.4
Total 15.2 32.7
Department of Government, University College Cork
Selection Conventions• 94 selection conventions held to-date; 33 contested selection conventions
– 18 contested Fianna Fail conventions • 46 men (75.4%); 15 women (24.6%)• 23 men selected ; 6 women selected • Add-ons: 2 men; 1 woman
– 8 contested Fine Gael selection convention • 29 men (63%); 17 women (27%)• 21 men selected; 13 women selected • Add-on: 1 man added
– 7 contested Sinn Fein selection conventions • 31 men (64.6%); 17 women (35.4%)• 27 men selected; 14 women selected • Add-ons: 2 women added
– 0 contested Labour selection conventions• 11 men; 7 women• 11 men selected; 7 women selected
• 51 candidates have been unsuccessful across the 33 contested selection conventions, 16 women (31.4%) and 35 men (68.6%). – Only one unsuccessful candidates was a sitting TD – Richard Bruton in Dublin Bay North
• Added on
Department of Government, University College Cork
Observations (I)• Tensions between central (HQ) party and local party
- ‘Twas ever thus!- Centralisation v localism
• Directives from HQ dictating:- (i) the number of candidates to be selected, (ii) gender
• (1 candidate strategy, 2 candidate strategy, etc)• Local party:
- (i) Maintaining intra-party democracy, (ii) geography, (iii) numerical candidate strategies- Strategic convention behaviour – FG Dublin Bay North
• Institutional layering• formal gender requirement; informal geographical requirements; candidate strategy numbers
• Gender quotas – seen as centralised involvement in local party democratic decision-making• But gender quotas a process of institutional layering exposing the gendered nature of intra-party democracy?
• Challenging male dominance of (entitlement to?) candidacy
Department of Government, University College Cork
Observations (II)• Narratives
– Displaced male• But geography often a factor
– Quota women– Surprise!– Diversity is good
• The extent of women’s candidacy – a test of a party’s progressiveness and change– Fianna Fáil
• The discourse around quotas & women in politics has encouraged party women to speak up and speak out about their experiences in politics
• The discourse around quotas & women in politics having an impact on the number of women running as independents– Diffusion/contagion effect?
• Gender quota requirement will be met but– Will informal and gendered institutional legacies - a challenge to effective implementation?
Department of Government, University College Cork