In the last general election, Tipperary was one of twelve constituencies where a woman was not elected.
Tipperary women who are interested in politics are being encouraged to attend a campaign school online to prepare them to stand for election.
The INSPIRE Campaign School starts online on Wednesday week, September 29th.
Since 2012, Women for Election has been helping women to enter the political world, in light of Ireland’s poor record for female political participation.
Just 23% of Ireland’s TDs are women.
In Tipperary, there were five Dáil seats available in the 2020 General Election, but no woman was elected.
Tipp is one of twelve constituencies, out of 39, where a woman was not elected.
Out of the 14 candidates for the last general election, there were five women on the ballot papers in Tipperary.
Looking to Tipperary County Council, out of the 40 elected members, eight are women, showing a representation of 20%, 5% below the national average.
The campaign school hopes to eventually achieve a 50/50 gender balance in Government.
The INSPIRE Campaign School runs over three weeks during online evening sessions with training in confidence, communications and campaigning from nationally recognised leaders and mentors.
The course will cover; Confidence with Orlaith Carmody on September 29th; Communications with Margaret E. Ward on October 6th; and Campaigning with Pat Montague on October 13th.
The training sessions take place in the evening starting at 6:30pm and running for up to 3 hours, with breaks.
Women for Election research shows that there are a variety of barriers that make it more difficult for women to access politics in Ireland, starting with the resources of time, money, and continued difficulties with candidate selection in political parties – the basic ingredients necessary to run for office successfully.
In addition, women face specific barriers with regard to self-confidence and safety. The risk of on and off-line abuse is a growing consideration for many women stepping forward for public office. In addition, the extra care responsibilities that women disproportionately have responsibility for, can also be a barrier.
To find out more about the INSPIRE Campaign School and to register go to their website or email [email protected].
