DOES IRISH DEMOCRACY REPRESENT EVERYONE? 26 INVESTIGATE THE DATA A The Dáil by gender
We have seen how in 2012 the law changed to promote women’s presence in the Dáil. Examine the infographic below, which shows the Dáil by gender throughout its history, and answer the questions that follow.
UNDERSTAND
1. How many female TDs were elected to the first Dáil? 2. What was the increase in female TDs in the Dáil in the 63 years between 1918 and 1981? 3. Which of the years shown had the highest percentage of men elected to the Dáil? 4. How many Dáil elections were there between 1918 and 2016? 5. The percentage of female TDs elected in 2016 was a record. What was it?
6. Based on the rate of growth in female TDs in the first 100 years of the Dáil, do you expect women to reach 50% representation by 2118? Give reasons for your answer.