'Politics can be great fun'
A More Inclusive Politics for Westmeath (part 6)
On the Diverse Pathways into Politics panel, Ruth Illingworth, historian, lecturer, tour guide and former public representative, spoke of the lack of LGBTQ+ representatives in local and national government. She urged everyone to use their vote and those so inclined to run saying “politics can be great fun”.
Ruth said that Mullingar Town Council was formed in 1826 and it was not until 1993 that the first woman was elected to it. In total, there were three female members of the town council in its lifetime.
Tina Adagun spoke of the Athlone Women’s Forum, established 11 years ago to inform women about politics and what was going on in the town.
She said migrants always have prove themselves and are not given a real chance to be seen, to be known, and to be heard. When we want to contribute, we should be allowed and encouraged to do so, she said.
Tina felt that men were more inclined to “pull together” than women and suggested that should change.
Lorna McGreehan works with Westmeath County Council. She is visually impaired and feels that people with a disability have to prove themselves, as well as facing physical barriers. If she wanted to run for election, she would have to pay someone to drive her around or depend on the goodwill of family and friends.
Lorna urged people to check if they are registered to vote – if they aren’t, they can register at register.ie. If someone does not want their name to appear on the register for security reasons, that “can be sorted” too, she said.
Dr Maher spoke of See Her Elected and how it is intended to give a short, sharp, swift shock to the political system. She and Mairead O’Shea have compiled a booklet and host workshops to inform women about how to get into politics. She stressed that in local elections, everyone gets a vote, whether or not they are an Irish citizen.
She said they are trying to get women to put a value on what they do. There isn’t a GAA club in the country that wouldn’t collapse if women withdrew their support, she suggested. Women fill the gaps and are the best people to sit on council seats because they know where the gaps are.
Dr Maher applauded Westmeath County Council for leading in this area by hosting the seminar.
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