Quotas divisive and discriminatory

Posted on June 23, 2011 at 03:14 PM

MINISTER for the Environment Phil Hogan has claimed that women and men that oppose gender quotas are part of "a conservative culture".

As a woman that opposes gender quotas, I think it is unfair of the minister to pigeon hole those that disagree with him on this issue.

He should respect the fact that those women and men that oppose gender quotas do want to see more women running for election.

The reason I oppose gender quotas is because I am opposed to the idea that the way to bring about more women candidates should be a law that discriminates against candidates on the grounds of their gender.

Such a law will be bad for the cause of women and men. It will be divisive, discriminatory and undemocratic.

It is true that I do want to conserve something, ie the principle that anyone can contest an election irrespective of their gender and that voters can make up their own minds who to vote for irrespective of gender.

In contrast, the minister intends to bring in a law whereby a citizen could be prevented from running in a general election solely on the grounds of their gender.

The minister’s method of using state funding of political parties to achieve his objective in relation to gender quotas is likely to be challenged as unconstitutional because his proposed law will be in conflict with article 16 of the Irish Constitution, which prohibits the passing of a law which places a disability on a citizen running for the Dáil on the grounds of their sex.

It would be far better for those at the top of political parties, including Minister Hogan, to try to achieve an increase in women running for election by measures that increase the participation by women at the grass roots of political parties.

Ironically, gender quotas will undermine the grass roots of political parties by imposing top down decisions by party leaderships as to who and what gender general election candidates should be.

Joanna Tuffy
TD (Labour)
Dáil Éireann
Dublin 2

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Wednesday, June 22, 2011

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