Reflecting on legislative gender quotas in Ireland

Abstract

Since the implementation of the legislative gender quota in Ireland, there has been a 186% increase in the number of women contesting general elections and a 76% increase in the number of women elected. However, following the November 2024 general election, three out of every four TDs are still men. Thus, gender parity in descriptive representation is far from being achieved. Research tells us that parties are gatekeepers of candidate selection, and that party behaviour is integral to the effectiveness of gender quotas (Krook 2009; 2016). In this Note from the Field, I highlight that the candidate selection practices of some political parties enable them to meet their obligations under the law, while simultaneously perpetuating and protecting men’s candidacies. However, a renewed "sparkling anger" is now being channelled into a campaign to protect and extend the gender quota in an effort to enhance its effectiveness.