Sir, – In her article on 'gender balance and equality on May 2nd, Maeve McElwee tells us that the proposed Parental Leave and Benefit Bill "just making fathers take parental leave won't solve much".
Meanwhile in the letters page on the same day, Siobhán McGee of Action Aid Ireland tells us that "there is still no law at the international level to eradicate violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment, in the world of work".
Women, because they live longer, have a majority in the democracies of the world.
Unless they use this majority to elect more women to parliament – the most powerful decision-making forums in a democracy – there will not be much progress on these issues.
The situation is that not alone are there fewer women candidates than male candidates but in general the average female candidate gets fewer votes than the average male candidate.
The Dáil is still nearly 80 per cent male. This situation is mirrored around the world.
This democratic power to change gender balance and equality is in the hands of women themselves. But they are not using it. – Yours, etc,
A LEAVY,
Sutton, Dublin 13.