Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As we all know, this Friday is International Women's Day. It is important that we promote women in business and politics, and it is also important that we support each other as women. I firmly believe that women need to support other women more. There are still many barriers in education, business and political life, and we must break the bias to ensure gender equality in our workplaces and communities. This will be a bumper year for elections and a chance to have women participate, be elected and be heard and seen in a way they have not been before. This Government has empowered local authorities to encourage improved gender and ethnic mix in local elections.

In the 2019, only five women out of a total of 31 candidates across Carlow ran in the local elections. I have heard that there is major interest in Carlow this year and that numbers will increase. I support all women who have put themselves forward to represent their communities. As the local elections draw closer, a significant effort is crucial to encourage women and people from diverse backgrounds to run for elections, and to support those who have already decided to run. It will be important that we support female candidates in these upcoming elections and it will again be important that everyone uses their vote. I support the local authorities to be more flexible with meeting times and to use remote working technologies and flexible working practices to support councillors with parental or caring responsibilities including childcare. It would reduce travel times and absenteeism from work.

I always say that we need to make this House more woman friendly. The Ceann Comhairle is aware of this need. It is important when we encourage women into politics that we work with them as much as we can. To bring true equality in politics and society we need to enable increased remote flexibility and hub-working arrangements to support families in their parenting and childcare choices, supporting enterprise to encourage the higher participation of women in the workplace, less commuting and greater regional balance. I am all for regional balance. That is so important. Such changes will give long-term resilience to our economy and society, and it is therefore important that we also bring about this balance. We need to have women at the decision-making table in order that they can represent and support other women.

When the chances arise, I encourage people to support women running in their local area and to vote. That is so important.

I am delighted there will be a very big event in County Carlow on Friday for International Women's Day hosted by Carlow County Council, the local enterprise office, Powerhouse Women in Business Network, County Carlow Chamber, South East Technological University, SETU, and Carlow County Development Partnership. That is so important, and I am delighted to be going to it. It is being held in the Woodford Dolmen Hotel. This event celebrates the achievement of women in Carlow and in communities and also in political life. That is so important. We need to mark these women who are working in the community. It will be spearheaded by Ms Melissa Doyle, business adviser and co-ordinator of Powerhouse. The fact it is called the Powerhouse Women in Business Network in itself says to me that is what we need, and that is who is organising this. There will be a panel discussion with Councillor Andrea Dalton, cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council; Ms Jolly O'Rock from the Carlow African Support Group and AHA Storytellers; Dr. Eileen Doyle Walsh, community educator and head of the faculty of business and humanities, SETU; Ms Annette Fox, CEO of Carlow County Development Partnership; Ms Emma Butler, award-winning interior designer and project manager; and Ms Faith Amond, fashion expert and age friendly ambassador, who I would say is one of our most famous panellists. These are all great women. We also have Ms Rowena Dooley, president of County Carlow Chamber. I mentioned all these great Carlow women who work in the county but within different remits. These women play a role, and it is important that we as women encourage each other and work together to see what we can do to support them. I am a firm believer that, as women, we can all be stronger working together. As I said, I am really looking forward to that event on Friday. I will be at the top of the table, as usual, supporting anything in County Carlow. That is one of the good events to have.

As we know, we also have the referendums on Friday. A lot of people have been contacting me about more information and how it works. I have said, and I will say again, that it is important for people to use their vote and their voice. They can make their own choice. People need to use their vote. I ask everyone to do this. We have the referendums on Friday. People have fought for their vote, so people should use their vote on Friday. That is all I would say. As I said, this is a great day. We need to do more for women. We need to maybe look at more supports and more funding. I just want to say well done to everyone involved.

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