Events are taking place across the country to mark International Women's Day, with council chambers in the midlands, west and northwest reversing the gender balance to mark the day.
The See Her Elected campaign, along with women of the Western Midlands and Northern Regional Caucus, came up with the idea to highlight the need for more female representation.
Only 25.5.% of county councillors across Ireland are women.
One of the aims of the caucus is to retain currently elected female councillors and to support more women to enter local politics in rural Ireland in the next local elections next year.
Uruemu Adejinmi, a Fianna Fáil councillor in Longford, is a member of the regional caucus and one of two female councillors on the 18-member local authority.
"We have 42 female councillors in 13 counties in this region and that compares to 245 male councillors. There's a definite need to increase the number of female councillors around Ireland," Cllr Adejinmi said.
She is hoping the event will raise awareness to ensure greater gender balance at local government level.
"We want to encourage women to choose life as a political representative so that we have more gender balance and more inclusive policies in our communities," she said.
"This is not an ideal scenario either. Obviously, we want more gender balance, but it's been heartening to see more women sitting in the chamber," she added.
Cllr Adejinmi believes the public must support women too.
"In 2019 there were ten females running in local elections in Longford but just two representatives are on the council. This is also a call on the public to imagine a more gender balanced council," she said.
Donegal councillors reverse gender balance on International Women's Day
The See Her Elected initiative, which supports women across rural Ireland to become county councillors, and the Association of Irish Local Government are supporting this event. They are hoping it will encourage more women to consider running in the local elections.
"Only 25.5.% of county councillors across Ireland are women, however in the counties where our caucus members are elected, the figures are much starker.
"For example, only four out of 37 councillors in Donegal are women, two out of 18 in Monaghan, seven out of 39 in Co Galway and three out of 18 in Leitrim and Sligo" said Dr Michelle Maher, Programme Manager of See her Elected.
Councillor Shelly Herterich Quinn of Galway County Council and Vice Chairperson of the regional caucus said that balance was needed at the local authority level in order to effect real change.
"So many decisions that affect our counties, and indeed our country, are made with the involvement of councillors at the local government level.
"It is crucial to have an equal number of women in the chamber in order for the female perspective to be included in our local and national policies," Cllr Shelly Herterich Quinn said.
