WOMEN HAVE different expectations of politicians than men and they feel issues important to them are not adequately addressed in the male-dominated world of politics, a Eurobarometer poll published yesterday finds.
The poll, published to coincide with International Women’s Day, underlined the need for women to take a more active part in the political process, the European Commission vice-president Margot Wallstrom commented.
“Eurobarometer results show that a large majority of Europeans agree that men dominate politics and that women can bring a different perspective,” she said.
She said it was vital women made their voices heard in the forthcoming European elections (to be held on June 5th in Ireland) if issues important to their lives were to be pushed up the political agenda.
“A democracy that does not make enough room for 52 per cent of the population at the decision-making table is no democracy at all.
“Decisions are made by those who turn up. Let’s work together so that as many Europeans as possible and at least as many women as men will take this opportunity to get out on polling day.”
The priorities for women as indicated in the poll included guaranteed equal pay for equal work, improved childcare facilities, the inclusion of child-minding years as pensionable years and combating domestic violence.
The majority of respondents felt the European Parliament should tackle these issues with a view to promoting a good family-work balance.
The report on the poll points out just 13 per cent of Ireland’s TDs are women, while Ireland has the fourth-lowest rate of equality of representation in the EU.
In the European Parliament, only 245 of the 785 MEPs (31 per cent) were female in September 2008.
