Low female representation on Mayo County Council labelled as ‘crazy’

THE shortage of female representation among the newly-elected Mayo County Council has been branded as ‘crazy’ at its Annual General Meeting.

Paying tribute to newly-elected Fine Gael college, Cllr Alma Gallagher, Cllr Peter Flynn raised concerns about the low percentage of female representation on the new council.

Cllr Flynn said it was ‘incredible’ that Cllr Gallagher was the first woman ever to be elected in the Claremorris Local Electoral Area.

Cllr Gallagher, Cllr Donna Sheridan (both Fine Gael) and Cllr Annie May Reape are currently the only female members out of 30 elected people elected to the local authority.

“It’s still only three of the county councillors, it’s a crazy percentage,” added Cllr Flynn, who said Cllr Gallagher would bring ‘huge experience and a wealth of knowledge’ to her new role.

Mayo County Council now has the second-lowest percentage of female representation (10 percent) of any local authority, behind only Donegal County Council, which has three female representatives out of 37 councillors (8.1 percent).

South Dublin County Council had the highest percentage of female councillors of 31 local authorities, with 19 female councillors out of 40 elected.

Speaking to The Mayo News after the council’s Annual General Meeting, Cllr Gallagher said that there were ‘huge challenges’ facing women trying to get into politics.

“I’ve been through the process myself and I understand the reasons why women wouldn’t put themselves forward because it’s absolutely relentless and you’re putting yourself out there not just through the public but through social media and I think what we’ve learned in terms of this local election there was a presumption there that women would support women,” she said.

Mayo County Council has not had more than five female councillors so far this century, according to research conducted by Cllr Gallagher before the election.

The Ballyhaunis woman said that her historic election was not ‘gender tokenism’, insisting that she had been elected on merit.

Citing a Mayo County Council report commissioned in 2019, Cllr Gallagher said that women needed support with childcare, financial resources and confidence to be encouraged to run for election.

“I have worked in the community for over 20 years. I have a masters from UL, I did my thesis in social housing development, so I’m here not just because I’m a woman, I’m here because I’m a credible candidate and I fought a good fight and earned my right of passage to be here in the council chamber,” she told The Mayo News.

“But what I do say is women bring not a different perspective, we bring an added perspective to the table. We have to work ten times harder in order to get elected.”

Cllr Gallagher said she had also received abuse on social media during her election campaign. 

“It can be a very challenging environment. There was a kind of a mantra out there to keep the bird in Ballyhaunis, that was all out there,” she said. 

In her maiden address in Áras an Chontae, Cllr Gallagher said she was ‘very proud and privileged’ to be the first woman to be elected in the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District. 

The four-seat Swinford Local Electoral Area, which is joined with Claremorris Local Electoral Area at the municipal district level, has also never elected a female councillor. 

Two female candidates, Antoinette Peyton (Fine Gael) and Marion Gordon (The Irish People) ran in the Swinford Local Electoral Area in the recent local elections. 

Of the 73 candidates who ran for Mayo County Council this year, only 19 percent were female. 

“The importance of women in politics cannot be understated,” Cllr Gallagher said in her address to the council chamber.

“Women’s participation in politics inspires young girls and I’m delighted to have my own fourteen-year-old daughter here, Alice…because it really inspires younger generations. 

She continued: “The time has come that women not only have to take on those supportive roles, but also that they can take on key roles and make a positive impact not just in community but here on the table and across the table here in the chamber.”