Where are the women? That’s a fundamental question that dominates a significant part of my thinking.

And it was ever-present during my time as one of the twenty-two inaugural Fellows of the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (CDPB) Fellowship Programme for political and civic leaders in NI, when I considered our make-up, agency, discourse and purpose.

Thirteen of the Fellows are female so the number is reflective of the population breakdown. During the Programme, three women announced they will seek election to political office in 2022, so why the need to focus on gender parity and equality, We’re sorted, right?
Not so when we look at the bigger picture, as this powerful summary portrays.

Women make up 51 per cent of the population but 70 per cent of the poor and 83 per cent of single parents doing 66 per cent of the work producing 50 per cent of the food but earn just 11 per cent of the pay and only 1 per cent of the land.

Add to that the instrumental role they have played in this global health pandemic. And yet, COVID has further exacerbated the gender gap, new barriers have been erected and it is women who will be disproportionately affected.

There is no doubt that we have seen remarkable progress on women’s rights and leadership.
Here in the North, a female is the joint Head of Government. And until recently, we had two females leading the largest parties and sharing the highest office in the Executive. We have four women holding ministerial posts and the Head of our Civil Service is female.

Sinn Féin recently announced that over 50 per cent of its MLAs are now female.

And we have a Women’s Caucus, a united cross-party forum of all female MLAs, who work to address the under-representation of women in politics; as well as a gender sensitive assembly, founded upon the principle of gender equality.

And right there is the spirit of possibility, being the change we want to see, the opportunity to enhance female participation not only in political life but all walks of life.

However, we have a way to go. Women may represent a majority of the population but in public and political life, they remain in the minority.

Consider that in a 90-seat assembly, just over a third of our MLAs are women, and in local politics women make up just over a quarter of councillors.

In public appointments, women make up 42 per cent of all public appointments with 28 per cent holding the position of Chair.

And then consider that women’s political representation in parliaments around the world is less than 25 per cent, and falls to single figures in the highest positions of political office.

These spaces of decision-making and power have a huge impact on the determinants for social change. Changes in our environments, be it our homes, workplaces, politics, education, policy, health or elsewhere.

UN predictions are that at the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached globally for another 130 years.

And yet here we are in 2021 still discussing if there is a need for feminism.

Gender parity in public and political life looks a long way off as our voices are overlooked and our perspectives ignored. But it is non-negotiable.

Persistent and systemic barriers to participation remain, not least in public and political office. Few remain untouched by the systemic and societal culture of patriarchy, ingrained misogyny, sexual harassment, and everyday sexism.

We regularly see the public degradation and demeaning of our female politicians as they face a persistent barrage of, often times, anonymous and malevolent abuse. Little, if any, of which pertains to their contribution as an elected representative.

And they are not alone. These are the lived experiences of women. Every. Single. Day.

So, I ask the question again, where are the women? And why do we continue to be under-represented in public life and political institutions?

Is it that women are constantly targeted for publicly asserting themselves?

Is it that female elected representatives are not starting from a level playing field when compared to their male peers?

Is it that judgement is made on matters which have absolutely nothing to do with their track record?

Are there enough role models so that confidence to step up is no longer a barrier?

You may ask, why does it matter? The answer is simple – women matter.

Protecting political and public space is critical to removing barriers to participation. An inclusive democracy can only be successful if there are more women in the room, more women at the table, more women with voice. It requires critical mass and it requires equality.

The issue is not that there are men in the room, it is that predominantly there are only men in the room. Women cannot be absent from the decision-making process. Our voices and perspectives need to be heard in all spaces.

This is not a binary choice of either men or women. We cannot do this alone, it is about all of us working together.

So, to each of my fellow Fellows, I lay down the gauntlet.

We cannot afford to stand still, and we need to empower the next generation of women to step into the space. We must insist on inclusion.

It is incumbent on us to assume a responsibility in breaking down barriers, changing the environments and invite more women in.

Challenge those deeply held and prevailing beliefs of the role of men and women in society.
Share how a life in politics or policy transforms society, creates a fairer and more equal society. That female participation will make a difference.

And in doing so you will contribute to ensuring that there is equal and meaningful political representation.

This is not a woman’s issue. Gender inequality is, after all, a human rights issue. It is an issue for all of us.

We cannot afford to be silent.

Michelle Canning