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Women for Election is delighted to be working with National Traveller Women’s Forum (NTWF) to deliver a programme to support more Traveller women into politics.

Ireland has a long way to go to tackle under representation of Traveller women in political office, with Senator Eileen Flynn being the first Traveller woman to be appointed to the Seanad.

Following consultation with Traveller women and based on work in collaboration with the NTWF, this six-week political leadership programme will be co-designed with participants, and will offer a mix of in-person and online sessions. This programme has a second stream where politicians and their staff undergo cultural awareness training. We are training people to be bystanders and call out racism when they see it within our political institutions.

Broad topics to be covered include: media skills, presentation skills, introduction to politics, introduction to campaigning, confidence building, and realising your own power and political potential.

CEO Caitriona Gleeson has said:

“It is crucial to our democracy that not only do we elect more women but that we elect a diversity of women. This includes women of colour, LGBTQ women, women with disabilities and Traveller women. We need to ensure our democracy reflects the society we live in. We are excited to be bringing this programme forward with the NTWF to address this critical underrepresentation of the Traveller community.” 

Maria Joyce from the NTWF has also said:

“Our research (Different Paths, Shared Experience) shows that the range of current interventions to increase the number of women in local politics will increase gender parity there, but they will not deliver the change required for minoritised women to access local politics such as the issue of Traveller political participation which remains the issue hiding in plain sight. A variety of responses are needed including bespoke training addressing the obstacles experienced by Traveller women.”