The Single Transferable Vote and Women's Representation in Ireland

Abstract

This article employs a largely feminist-institutional framework to explore the effects of the single transferable vote (STV) on women's representation in Ireland. Considering the 2011 elections, the research finds a ‘mismatch’ between formal and informal factors in influencing female candidacy and seat-holding in Dáil Éireann and the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly. While the workings of STV are mostly ‘women-friendly’, at least in comparison with a single-seat system, political parties well placed to win multiple constituency seats are slow to recruit female candidates in reasonable numbers. Conservative party norms, systems of party competition and voter preferences for incumbency all act to suppress the election of more women Teachtaí Dála and Members of the Legislative Assembly. The key to achieving a ‘critical mass’ across the island lies in reforming internal party selection processes to accommodate better equality between the sexes.