County Westmeath has had just 14 women councillors in 55 years

Only 14 women have ever served as county councillors in Westmeath – but the present council hopes to see that figure rise in the future.

On Monday of last week, a drive to increase the participation of women and people from diverse or minority backgrounds in the next Westmeath local elections in 2024 was launched.

‘A More Inclusive Politics for Westmeath’ was unveiled by the Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke TD, at the council chambers in the presence of elected members and officials.

Minister Burke said his department had allocated funding for proposals for projects that have the potential to achieve greater inclusivity, and he was delighted that Westmeath County Council had applied for funding and availed of the opportunity to promote diversity.

“I am excited to see the positive impact that this project will have, and I look forward to working with Westmeath County Council on future proposals that they may submit to the department,” Minister Burke stated.

To spread the message, the council has produced a video and a booklet.

The video, by award-winning videographer Noel McIntyre explains the structure, layout, and organisation of the council, as well as featuring the experiences of some of the serving members on Westmeath County Council – most notably the project committee featuring Cllr Aoife Davitt, Cllr Emily Wallace, Cllr Hazel Smyth, Cllr Louise Heavin, Cllr Frankie Keena and Cllr Frank McDermott. This video offers advice and encouragement for those looking to get involved.

The collaborative project booklet was developed with Dr Michelle Maher, project manager from See Her Elected (SHE), a rural programme that has been leading the way in addressing the under-representation of women in local government.

It was Dr Maher who revealed that since the first woman was elected to Westmeath County Council in 1967, and that just 13 others have become members since then.

“This means that women in Westmeath have been persistently under-represented in local politics and it is encouraging to see the current council being so proactive in wanting to bring about change,” Dr Maher said.

She stated that the decision of the council to proceed with ‘A More Inclusive Politics for Westmeath’ meant the council was leading the way in terms of the effort to achieve more diversity.

Explaining that SHE was established in 2019 and is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, Dr Maher revealed that Minister Burke has been involved with the programme since 2020 and has overseen some of its major successes, such as the achievement of winning the European Innovation in Politics Award in the democracy category in December 2021.

Dr Maher went on to say that it is important to have diversity in local politics as decisions made by councils affect where we live and work and spend time: “Bringing the experience of women into the council, the experience of having moved here from somewhere very different and with a different ethnicity; or being a young person, of navigating life in Westmeath as someone with a disability or as a Traveller. Think of the value of that experience to decision-making, and the value of the learning from each other that could happen in the council chamber with everyone working towards a common goal for Westmeath.”

The launch heard that the project video and booklet will aim to provide practical advice, encouragement, and guidance for those looking to run for election in 2024, or for those seeking to support potential candidates in the upcoming local election. Many of these supports are currently available from SHE.

Attendees were told that the project video and booklet are unique in their advocacy for more diverse political inclusion, as they help to relay the real life experiences of women involved in local government in Westmeath, and provide a true representation of how local democracy could be enhanced for the county, including information for those who may not be familiar with the electoral system.

The launch was concluded by Anne Galvin, meetings administrator, who said the next step is the development of a seminar and workshop in the coming months to bring interested parties together and prepare them for the 2024 local elections in Westmeath.

“I am calling on all women and people of diversity to please consider putting themselves forward for election in 2024,” Ms Galvin concluded.

The project video and booklet may be accessed on a new dedicated page on the Westmeath County Council website.