The Cost of Doing Politics in Ireland

In this paper we present preliminary results of a survey conducted in Ireland as part of the Research Council of Norway funded The Cost of Doing Politics: Gender Aspects of Political Violence project. Anecdotally, there is a growing number of reports about Irish politicians experiencing forms of harassment, intimidation, abuse and violence (HIAV) but to-date, no systematic study has captured these experiences. In the first examination of its type in Ireland, this study seeks to better understand 1) the extent of HIAV directed at election candidates and public representatives in Ireland; and 2) how gender shapes the scope, form, and consequences of HIAV targeting politicians. The research on gender aspects of political violence (GAPV) is still in its nascent stages, primarily grappling with conceptual development and categorisation, but there are some underlying assumptions that personalised electoral systems and low levels of women in politics may increase the likelihood of gendered HIAV. Ireland presents an ideal case-study in which to explore the affects of these contextual factors, due to its candidate-centred PR-STV electoral system and under-representation of women in politics (currently just 23 per cent in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann and 25 per cent at the local level). Furthermore, international research indicates that women face more constraints and opposition within their own parties and party parliamentary groups than men do (Zetterberg 2008 ). The harshest political battles are fought for positions of power within political parties prior to entering the legislative body. Our preliminary analysis finds no gender difference in terms of the prevalence of HIAV but that the content and consequences do appear to vary. Women are more likely to experience HIAV with sexual connotations, and they appear to be more negatively impacted by such experiences than are their male counterparts. These initial findings further suggest avenues for future research.