LSource 1 Women in Irish general elections by decade
Candidates Year
1923 1933 1943 1954 1969 1977
1982* 1989 Total
Total
number 377 246 354 303 373 375 365 371
2764
Women candidates
7 6 9 6
11 25 31 53
148
Women as %
1.9 2.4 2.5 1.9 2.9 6.6 8.5
13.8 5.3
Total
number 153 153 138 147 144 148 166 166
1215 Elected
Women candidates
5 3 3 5 3 6
14 13 52
Women as %
3.3 1.9 2.2 3.4 2.1 4.1 8.4 7.8 4.2
Note: 1982* refers to the second general election in that year. (Frances Gardiner, ‘Political interest and participation of Irish women 1922–92’ in Ailbhe Smyth (ed.), Irish women’s studies reader, Dublin, 1993)
State
Belgium Denmark Germany Greece Spain France Ireland Italy
Luxembourg Netherlands Austria
Portugal Finland Sweden UK
Average
1. When did a significant increase occur in the number and percentage of women seeking election in Irish general elections, according to Source 1?
2. How significant an increase was it?
3. What explanations can you give for the figures in this source?
4. How does Ireland compare with other EU states in relation to the proportion of women in national parliaments in Source 2?
Problems
In spite of all these changes in the experience of women, some problems still existed at the end of the 20th
century:
●● Women were still exploited in advertising ●● Some traditionally male clubs and institutions were slow to accept women members on equal terms
●● The pressures of modern society led to the break-up of marriages affecting both men and women
●● There was still a gap in pay between males and females ●● There was still a gap in the numbers of males and females in management positions.
367
Year 1995 1994 1994 1993 1993
1993/92 1997/92 1994 1994
1994/95 1994 1991 1995 1994 1992
A NUMERACY
LSource 2 Proportion of women in the national parliaments of the European Union member states
% Female 15.3 33.0 25.7 5.3
14.6 5.6
12.4 12.0 16.6 30.2 22.7 8.7
33.5 40.4 7.4
14.8 (‘Women and decision making’ quoted in
Department of Education, ‘Facts and figures’ in Balance: A module in social education and equality issues, Dublin, 1997)
