Agreement Reached in the Multi-Party Negotiations - Transitional ...

eport offers no analysis as to why not or what the shortcomings may be within the
current structure of formal politics and the political parties themselves. ‘Women’, it
continues ‘play an active role in public life through community organisations, and through
networks such as the Rural Women’s Network’. Why women operate comfortably and
effectively in this informal political arena is not considered. The impact of women’s lowlevel
representation among senior professionals and business people on decision-making is
two-fold. On the one hand it means that the policies and practices of male dominated
professional or business groups do not reflect the experience of women, and on the other,
it means that there are few women in the pool of senior professionals and business people
who tend to be the main source of recruits to public appointments and other decisionmaking
bodies. 41
4.9 In Summary
Women’s participation in the political process and in public bodies has not greatly
improved. The engagement of Unionists and Nationalists is still the primary concern of
the new Assembly, as evidenced by the voting arrangement. Despite a new political
structure and legislation, women are still under-represented. Lack of enforcement
measures and political will mean that the statements in the Agreement supporting the
promotion of women’s participation effectively remain unfulfilled.
41 Ibid.
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