Women totally 'under-represented'

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Statistics reveal "a gloomy picture" of the number of women on NI's public bodies, a new report has said.

Women are totally under represented and their numbers have gone down despite a decade-long drive to improve the situation, it said.

Felicity Huston, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Public Appointments, said less than a third of people appointed to public bodies were women.

In her annual report, she said questions needed to be asked.

"In 1996/97 men held 65% of all public appointments and 72% of chair position," she said.

"In 2005/06 men hold 68% of all public appointments in Northern Ireland and 75% of chair appointments."

'Apparently got worse'

The commissioner said recent estimates of the population aged over 16 showed it to be 52.5% Protestant, 38.5% Catholic and other/none 9%.

Public appointments made during the past year were: Protestant 46%, Catholic 40% and others/not known 14%.

However, Mrs Huston said the most basic analysis showed the significant imbalance was gender and not religion.

"Why - after 10 years of hard work by various Commissioners for Public Appointments - have things apparently got worse?

"Why are 75% of all public bodies chaired by men? Why do women make up less than a third of our board members".

The commissioner said the number of bodies regulated by her organisation was about to increase dramatically.

"I believe that by making all appointments truly open to competition the public's confidence will be boosted," she said.

Interim Victims' Commissioner Bertha McDougall

The commissioner will now regulate the appointment of the new Northern Ireland Victims' Commissioner.

"The case of the Interim Victims' Commissioner has done nothing to build public confidence in the appointments process," said Mrs Huston.

"An open, transparent and scrutinised competition for the new Victims' Commissioner may help redress the balance."

The appointment of Interim Victims' Commissioner Bertha McDougall was the subject of a legal challenge.

Mr Justice Girvan asked the Attorney General to investigate the case after the judge ruled Secretary of State Peter Hain acted "for an improper political purpose" in appointing Mrs McDougall, an RUC widow.