Gender issues and the representation of women in Northern Ireland

Abstract

The descriptive representation of women in the Northern Ireland Assembly increased marginally at the 2003 election. This article considers this development with reference to the notion of a substantive difference that arguably occurs as the gender balance moves towards a ‘critical mass’. The level of descriptive representation is outlined to show how the main Northern Irish political parties compare. The article also critically considers the parties' policies on gender issues and the representation of women; if equality is a ‘good thing’ then how are the parties proposing to achieve it? Finally the potential for making a substantive difference to politics in the Northern Ireland Assembly is assessed with reference to data from interviews with women Members of the Legislative Assembly. It will be argued that the notion of a ‘critical mass’ has less salience where fundamental political priorities are informed by ethno‐national differences.