Citizens’ Assembly models are increasingly being seen internationally as a way of tackling challenging or divisive policy problems. In recent years, Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly, and the preceding Convention on the Constitution, helped bring about successful referendums on marriage equality and the introduction of abortion. Last Saturday, the latest assembly concluded with a set of strong recommendations on advancing gender equality. The assembly involves 99 citizens randomly chosen to be broadly representative of all citizens. Catherine Day is chair of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality and a governor of The Irish Times Trust.

Source: The Irish Times April 25, 2021 23:46 UTC