Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

I am delighted to have spent a great deal of time listening to this debate. The contributions from all parties have been fascinating. There were heartfelt stories of how Members got to this House and, in some cases, of Members who were previously Members of the Dáil and how they did not get into the Dáil for many years. Members spoke of how we must make the path easier for women to take part in politics.

I will look back again at the contributions from all sides. Many common threads are emerging from what has been said. There is consensus on the need to increase women's participation in politics and speaker after speaker, male and female, stressed their commitment to this goal. As I mentioned previously, politics is the one field of gender equality in which women in Ireland have made no appreciable progress in the past 15 years, unlike their European counterparts. Women have advanced in all other areas of Irish society in this time period. The discussion in the Senate suggests that Senators would welcome steps, and quick steps, to address this deficit and to move towards more balanced representation in political decision-making.

In my opening statement, I mentioned that all the multilateral bodies strongly urge governments to work to a 40% threshold for women in political decision-making. The Irish Government has ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW. In so doing, the Government has committed itself to overcome discrimination in all areas, including politics. I will keep a close eye on this. It is in this context that I have agreed to chair the work of the national women's strategy sub-committee on women and decision making. I look forward to the work of this sub-committee. Women in politics is just one element of the work of the sub-committee, but it is an important element.

The sub-committee will review all previous work on the topic, including the report prepared by Senator Bacik. It will also review the steps taken in countries which have brought women to the fore in politics. Many of their women politicians have combined a political life and a family life. I cannot believe there are valid reasons that we cannot achieve the same successes in Ireland. I am hopeful the new sub-committee will have an opportunity to meet with a small number of focus groups, such as Dáil Deputies and Seanadóirí, who might be prepared to offer some practical experiences to guide its recommendations. I also hope the sub-committee will have an opportunity to engage with the political parties through their general secretaries and equality officers to find common ground on which they can collaborate to increase female involvement. I hope this happens very quickly.

Many Senators, particularly women Senators, stressed the difficulty of combining their work in the House with family life. A similar situation pertains in the Dáil. There is no automatic pairing for women Members who have just had a baby. One presumes there is no pairing arrangement for new fathers either. The European Union actively encourages member states to promote the sharing of family responsibilities to foster gender equality and women's opportunity to participate in economic life. It also actively promotes women's engagement in decision making. The Dáil and the Seanad should be models of good practice in this regard. Therefore, as a priority, Members of both Houses must work together to introduce more family friendly practices as soon as possible. Good practice recommends that women take a period of at least six weeks after childbirth to enable them to bond with their new arrival. Perhaps the two Houses can consider an automatic pairing for newly delivered mothers. Good practice also suggests that new fathers should play a supportive role after the arrival of a new baby. Perhaps we could consider a week's automatic pairing for a new father.

One issue on which there was less consensus was the role of quotas. Some speakers consider quotas to be detrimental and tokenist; others actively foster them. I thank Senator Mooney for drawing my attention to the report he prepared for the Council of Europe in 2004. There has been a significant body of further research from Strasbourg examining all the factors which can foster female advancement in politics. In addition, the All-Party Committee on the Constitution is examining electoral practices in Ireland at present. I will keep track of the contributions it receives. A number of Senators who spoke on this matter pointed to the long family traditions which had fostered their interest in politics. We must ensure that our political system is equally open and welcoming to highly motivated people - women and men - who may not have a long association with politics but have an interest in getting involved and can bring their many skills and opinions to the table for the better of all.

Women are better educated than ever. The number of women with primary degrees has increased by almost 150% since the 1996 census, while the number of male graduates has increased by just under 100%. As a result, women now make up 53% of our graduates. We must ensure we utilise the talents of all these women fully and in all facets of society. Another clear thread which emerged from this lengthy discussion is that much of the onus for the advancement of women in politics rests with all of us, both men and women, as active members of political parties and as active Members of the Seanad and Dáil. Together we must work for reform. We must press our respective parties to espouse reform and the greater involvement of women. We must actively encourage more women to step forward and engage with the political parties.

I was the first woman to be elected by the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency since the foundation of the State. I had to grind that seat out of granite with my bare hands. I do not want other women to have to work as hard as I did in 2007. It took me ten long years to be able to speak as a Deputy. I am anxious to encourage women and to share my experience with other women who have managed to get through the glass ceiling. I will actively promote that for as long as I am elected to the House.

We must be conscious too of the old stereotypes. When I was first elected a political representative said to me: "There are three things you need, Mary, when you get in. They are a stomach for pints, for late nights and long days, and a great appetite for fast food." I have learned about the long days but perhaps I can leave the others behind. That is the general gender stereotype. As Senator Hannigan said, late nights with late meetings do not contribute to good family life. It is detrimental to young women entering politics, particularly those with families. In response also to Senator Hannigan, I will ask the Captain of the Guard to find a space on a very prominent wall in the Houses of the Oireachtas to hang that wonderful photograph. I will ask him to enlarge it so we can see every person who gathered on that memorable day. Let it hang in an historic place for all to see the wonderful women who have contributed over the years in both Houses so we can look at that with a sense of pride and look forward to at least doubling those numbers.