A local minister says gender quotas are essential to ensure women are represented in politics. Minister of State and TD Marian Harkin has been speaking about her personal experience as a female politician ahead of International Women's Day tomorrow. The new gender quota established in the last General Election meant that political parties had to run at least 40% female candidates in order to keep their state funding.
A record of 246 women ran in the elections, but only 44 were elected to the Dáil. Sligo-Leitrim TD Marian Harkin says that gender quotas must remain in place to ensure fair and accurate female representation:
Advertisement
