Parliaments as Gendered Institutions: The Irish Oireachtas

This article examines the Irish Parliament (Oireachtas) as a gendered institution through an analysis of the gendered pattern of portfolio allocation in leadership roles (cabinet ministers, ministers of state and parliamentary committee chairs) from the late 1970s to 2012. Its aim is to analyse the extent to which the political leadership roles allocated to women have been clustered into a narrow band of portfolio areas that can be identified as being in line with world views based on a high level of gender difference, and that assigns caring and nurturing roles to women. The international literature suggests that this type of gender stereotyping in parliaments has reduced over time. However, the Irish case does not conform to this trend. The article demonstrates that since the end of the 1970s the Irish Parliament has had a degree of gender stereotyping that is high by international standards, and has deepened during the past decade.