Failure of unionist parties to field any women candidates 'an absolute disgrace'

UNIONIST parties have been criticised for failing to field women candidates in May's Westminster elections in the North.

Neither the DUP (which is standing in 16 of the North's 18 constituencies) or UKIP (standing in ten) have fielded a single female candidate.

Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew MP (pictured) described the complete absence of women candidates from the parties as an "absolute disgrace" and "astounding".

Earlier this year a report entitled Women in Politics was endorsed on the floor of the Assembly.

At the time, the DUP's Stephen Moutray MLA said:

"The Assembly, political parties and the Executive cannot truly deliver for all their citizens if half the population remains underrepresented in the political arena."

Michelle Gildernew asked:

"How does this square with the DUP endorsing all-male candidates along as well as a further two men in unionist electoral pacts with the UUP?"

The Fermanagh & South Tyrone MP also noted that in two of the constituencies where unionist parties have formed pacts, they have done so in a bid to oust sitting women MPs.

"It is clear from the DUP’s electoral intentions that they were only paying lip service to such an ideal and in their own words 'cannot truly deliver for all their citizens'."