Women’s Podcast: ‘A strong woman is nothing to be afraid of’

“There’s this old chestnut there that people believe, that women don’t vote for women. Research is showing that that’s not actually the case. It’s just not true,” says chief executive of Women for Election Ciairín de Buis.

"We need to ensure that women can show leadership and show their strength … because a strong woman is nothing to be afraid of," she tells Kathy Sheridan, on the latest episode of the Women's Podcast.

Women for Election is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organisation that aims to get more women into politics, working with them at all levels of engagement, from leafleting to running for election.

Formerly the director of Start Strong, an advocacy organisation campaigning to improve early childhood care and education policies in Ireland, Ms de Buis was appointed CEO of the organisation in February of this year.

In this episode, she talks about her new role, the kind of training Women for Election offer, why it’s so important to keep working on female Dáil representation - which currently stands at 22 per cent - and why a strong female leader is nothing to be afraid of.

Twitter: @Women4Election

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