Friday, November 09, 2007
Lies, damned lies and…
Ireland 8th in the world for the empowerment of women? Can’t believe it? The answer’s simple: there’s not been a male President since Mary Robinson won office in 1990. IN fact the Republic comes 74th in terms of women’s representation in parliament and 28th for the number of women in Government”.
Mick Fealty @ 01:13 PM
Through making tea and sandwiches women can also be empowered.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 01:19 PMMick,
Your The Queen should have helped the UK’ ranking no end, it’s been yonks since she won office.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 02:01 PMhey ..leave the queen alone!
she does alot for tourism
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 02:19 PMI all for womens lib as long as my dinners ready when I return home from work.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 03:03 PMGood thing I’m not a fire breathing feminist or else Chekov and Outsider would be in trouble-lol!
But really, as a woman, I do think Ireland has really allowed the political voices of its women be heard more than many other countries, that’s not to say its perfect, but its a step in the right direction.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 03:19 PMLuc - not in the North though?
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 03:25 PMLuc - not in the North though?
Or in Northern Ireland Dewi.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 03:31 PMThis is not a million miles from a similar thread about our own native blogosphere. For which see Carolyn Kay’s http://makethemaccountable.com/. The link will then redirect to:
You know THE Question.
“Where are all the women bloggers?”
In view of the warm aftershave, beery and rugger-bugger aroma exuded by too many of the usual suspects here on Slugger, let’s be wary of casting nasturtiums.
Oh dear, I feel a blog-entry coming on.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 03:32 PMor even in the occupied 6 counties
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 03:33 PMOr even in our wee country.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 03:49 PMMalcolm--
that’s a good link, but it’s wrong to say women have more diverse blogs than men though. Lots of male bloggers I know have spectacularly diverse blogs. But it is pretty true that mostly of the political bloggers are male and they are the stars of the blogosphere, but I don’t think that’s due to any kind of sexism at all. God knows I’m trying to build up my blog into a real presence and if it doesn’t happen I doubt seriously it’ll have anything to do with the fact I’m a woman or the diversity of topics I cover.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 03:49 PMOutsider--
Women are definitely under-represented in NI which is a shame...I’ve not seen anyone take any steps to correct that though.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 03:53 PMWomen are definitely under-represented in NI which is a shame...I’ve not seen anyone take any steps to correct that though.
With an ageing population the men will be calling on their women folk to bear them more children to reverse this trend so women have a big part to play in the future.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 04:06 PMAs the average western male sperm count is declining at historically unprecdeented levels, the development of artifical human sperm in the near future will finally render the male redundant.
This will allow men to dedicate EVEN more of their time to producing their own un-needed semen - on their own, as now.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 04:10 PMWell that is true Outsider, but I hope these women will also make their own voices heard in NI’s political scene, not just through their children.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 04:16 PMCroquet Luc? Surely not LOL.
One thing we seem to have got right here is the gender balance thing - it’s about half and half in the Welsh Assembly.Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 04:26 PMI wonder, the image of a matriarchy with men in Y-fronts prostrate and kissing the stiletto heel of the dominatrix is still a way off yet.
though there’s probably an adult vid out there somewhere :)
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 04:36 PMI wonder
Its a shame women became redundant years ago, they never fully recovered after the advent of the dishwashers and sandwich toaster.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 04:38 PMYeah, the welsh assembly’s a good example Dewi.
I fear what people think feminism is- like Parci says nowadays its viewed as a means of domination instead of social discourse. I don’t condone even slightly militant feminism and take it as somewhat of an insult what they do in the name of women. Men and women are different, not better or worse than each other, just different.
Outsider--that’s ridiculous statement and I hope you’re just being funny. Its as if saying men have become redundant since vibrators came around!
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 04:58 PMMary Robinson did a fine job, and so is McAleese. Men would not have been able to do half their work. Capable fine women.
Where are all the women bloggers, they’re there, but can’t shine thru due to the large oversized ego’s of the men!
It’s the men who like to gossip, who are bad drivers and who have done such a bad job in politics. Time for a change, bring on Hilary Clinton!
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 05:28 PMI totally agree that there should be more women involved in politics in Ireland and for that matter through out the world.
Having said that I would sincerely hope with never ever get another Maggie Thatcher.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 10:50 PMMay I commend Luciana for her persistence, her pertinacity (which, despite the thesaurus doesn’t mean the same thing, and so that isn’t a redundancy) and her modesty?
Her blog is http://thegreatconnect.wordpress.com/ and well worth the visit.
And, by the way, me @ 05:28 PM, she’s Hillary.
I’m surprised, by the way, that nobody has yet pointed out that Con Markiewicz qualifies not just as the first woman to be elected to Westminster but also to make Cabinet rank in the UK. And, yes, the second half of that was a trick answer; but her position as Minister of Labour in the First Dáil was—though outlawed—still in the UK. And she beat Margaret Bondfield to the rank by a decade.
Pity that things went backwards after that. After Markiewicz, there wasn’t another woman in the Cabinet until 1979 (as Minister for the Gaeltacht, no less). Between 1922 and 1977 only 25 women were elected to Dáil. FG deserve credit for putting women into winnable contests during the 1970s and after: Labour and FF then played catch up.
See Yvonne Gilligan’s Chapter 6 in “Sharing Power: Women, Parliament and Democracy”.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 10:52 PMSorry slight correction
Having said that I would sincerely hope we never ever get another Maggie Thatcher.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 10:52 PMctb
Advocating “more women involved in politics” - but only those whose political views you agree with - would be missing the point somewhat..
And the same is true of political bloggers.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 11:11 PMGood point Pete I wouldn’t particularly mind another Thatcher at least she stood up to Sinn Fein/ira.
Posted by on Nov 09, 2007 @ 11:59 PM
