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“Parties must tackle lack of female politicians†â€" say women’s groups. A coalition of women’s groups today urged political parties to address the crisis of female under representation in the political process. The call to action came as it emerged that just one in six candidates in the upcoming election for the Northern Ireland Assembly are women. The percentage of female candidates bidding to become MLAs on May 5 is 17%, down one per cent on the 2007 Assembly elections. It was just one of many stark statistics revealed at the launch of the Women’s Manifesto calling for gender equality ahead of the Assembly and Local Government elections on May 5. Lynn Carvill of the Women’s Resource and Development Agency called on the parties to do more to address the gender imbalance. “It is not enough for the parties to say they are finding it difficult attracting female candidates. All of the parties need to look at introducing quotas to increase the numbers of women in the Assembly and local councils,†she said. The manifesto, which was launched at the Belfast headquarters of the Equality Commission, was drawn up by the Women’s ad hoc Policy Group, comprised of a number of organisations and trade unions. Bob Collins, Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission pointed out that the number of female MLAs at Stormont has dropped from 17% in 2007 to 14% in 2011, something that the parties must take urgent steps to address. “Women make up 51% of the population but only 14% of the Northern Ireland Assembly and this figure could become even worse after the May 5 election. At a time when women’s rights are being eroded in other areas, it is shameful that there continues to be a democratic deficit at Stormont,†he added. Among those attending the launch were female politicians, Jennifer McCann (Sinn Fein), Anna Lo (Alliance), Sandra Overend (UUP), Bernie Kelly (SDLP) and Ruth Patterson (DUP). The manifesto also addresses issues affecting the status of women in Northern Ireland including the Economy, Childcare, Domestic Violence, Education and Health. A series of speakers discussed each of the manifesto priorities at the launch. The organisations involved in the launch of the Manifesto include the Women’s Resource and Development Agency (WRDA), the Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN), Foyle Women’s Information Network, Northern Ireland Women’s Aid Federation, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Northern Ireland Committee. For copies of the manifesto contact the Women’s ad hoc Policy Group, c/o WRDA, 6 Mount Charles, Belfast BT7 1NZ, telephone: 028 9023 0212. For more information, contact Lynn Carvill, Women’s Sector Lobbyist on 028 9023 0212.
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