Sir, – Una Mullally ("Men should stop whining about gender quotas", Opinion & Analysis, November 30th) gets a little wrapped up in comic invective, but the general point that gender quotas are important in politics may be valid. Politicians influence how we build society and women are consistently underrepresented in politics. Gender quotas in politics may allow us achieve the critical mass needed to bring about structural change. Potentially, this could lead to a more equal and inclusive society.
That said, quotas should be approached cautiously. Although effective as a short-term measure, quotas by their very existence make discrimination at least partially respectable, and this may turn out to be a very bad idea in the long term. Equality will not be achieved until we no longer need to consider the use of quotas. A society that could elect equal numbers of men and women without thinking about gender, would be a much different, and probably, much healthier society. – Yours, etc,
COLIN WALSH,
Templeogue, Dublin 6W.
Sir, – I broadly agree with Una Mullally that for every seven males engaged in governing our country, we should expect at least three females doing the same.
However, with a few keyboard strokes Mullally seeks to undermine all counter-arguments in a manner that smacks of the very same egotism of which she accuses politicians.
Since quota laws were only introduced in 2012, it makes sense that a number of male politicians would be eliminated somewhat abruptly from the 2016 race, such as happened to Brian Mohan, for example, the candidate disallowed from running for the Fianna Fáil ticket in Dublin Central on grounds of gender. The reason for Mr Mohan’s elimination contained no reference to “merit”, which Mullally says if a male politician is so sure of, “then he has nothing to fear”.
I don’t know any of the male candidates affected, but I can only assume that they may have been working towards the goal of election for years. Who knows? They might even want to make a difference. Therefore, on a human level, I can empathise with their frustration.
For Mullally it seems far too easy to triumphantly peg them as “whiners”, as if all that happened was they didn’t get a Flake in their 99. – Yours, etc,
SINÉAD O’LOGHLIN,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.