BY MICHELE CANNING SMITH
West Tyrone has never been represented by a female. In fact, until 2007 the constituency has only ever had one female contender, Alliance's Anne Gormley and that was back in 1998, and she was one of 15 contenders.
This time, the field of 12 has two females who have stepped up to the political plate to seek election to the 108-strong assembly.
Claire McGill, a former teacher, is the Sinn Féin candidate and is no stranger to an environment dominated by men. She is the only female of 16 councillors in the chamber of Strabane District Council, a fact she accepts easily.
Jo Deehan is an Omagh GP who has been actively involved with the SDLP for the past 14 years. She also is a councillor in her second term, who is keen to see more women get involved in political life.
Jo Deehan first came into the public eye, politically, some six years ago when she decided to run as an SDLP candidate for Omagh District Council. A virtual unknown, she scraped in with a handful of votes and there began a steep learning curve for the family doctor.
Second time around as an enthused politico, Jo topped the poll in Omagh and was elected on the first count and so much does politics invigorate her that standing for the Assembly was an opportunity to be grasped.
Social justice and naturally healthcare are what spurs the Omagh GP on but what is it that inspires her entry into the bigger political arena.
"I was initially drawn into politics because I was very inspired by John Hume. I had the privilege of meeting him and was impressed by his approach to humanity, and his efforts to improve the lot of people.
"His subsequent discussions with Gerry Adams and encouraging Republicans to give up the armed struggle was such an unselfish thing to do, to put the needs of people ahead of the political party.
"I was very inspired by that. As a doctor my vocation is caring and I have had very many privileges and advantages and many others have not and do not enjoy the same advantages so I wanted to improve the lot of people.
"For instance young mums struggling to bring up their children, well after I was elected to Omagh Council I helped to encourage the Council to give up land for Surestart which has turned out to be a very good project.
"When I was first elected in 2001 no-one knew who I was and it was a steep learning curve. But you come into contact with so many different people and situations, like planning, waste disposal and economic development and I just find it all fascinating.
"Now as a first-time runner for the Assembly I am just so enthusiastic. I am just working so hard to get to the Assembly, there are so many things I want to achieve.
"I believe it's important that women have a voice, we need that gender balance. The SDLP is fielding a very strong slate of candidates, 14 in all, I think. It's a very exciting time. As a woman I am very much in tune with issues relating to women but also in tune with all the other issues that affects everyone.
"I am disappointed that not more women are standing from the Unionist tradition in this election.
"We need political women and they should have the opportunity to go forward, they are well positioned to compete with men. The top women need to go forward. We need to be nurturing young women, schoolgirls and those at university, to become involved in local politics. We need to let young women know that they can determine the future lot for their community, and on issues that they are passionate about.
"Women can get to the emotional issues and engage with people in an emotional way. Men approach things in a more pragmatic way. Women are very perceptive, they think laterally and have good communication skills."
Dr Deehan believes that emerging onto the political scene complements her profession as a GP.
"I am very strongly committed to the SDLP as the party ethos is very much person focused, having the utmost respect for human life and that's something I aspire to as a doctor and a human being.
"I feel my role is to break don socio-economic barriers and the barriers between communities. I see myself as a bridge builder."
Claire McGill has been a member of Sinn Fein for the past 20 years, and an elected representative for the last two terms, some six years.
So why get involved in what is a male dominated arena.
"In some ways it goes right back to when I was a child living in Gortin. As a youngster I can remember the pipe bands marching in the streets in July and these were people we knew, perfectly neighbourly.
"There was something different for us on those days. It was never spoken about but to define it now, it was that we felt that we were less equal on those days."
Another defining moment in her life was as she studied for her Masters in Anglo-Irish literature and one of the modules was based on colonialism.
"I remember the Professor, a fascinating character, referring to an Irish Republican female prisoner who had been a student of his who relayed an indepth discussion she had had with Gerry Adams on the subject of colonialism and the professor used the issues emanating from this discussion as the subject matter of debate for the module
"I was just one of a class but that discussion on that prisoner, Gerry Adams and colonialism and that degree of debate made an impression on me.
When Claire finished teaching sports in Plumbridge, again she points to the aspect of fair play, she took the opportunity to get into formal politics.
"The timing was right and it was kind of natural for me, especially because of an instinct for fairness and equality."
She has been sitting on Strabane Council for the past six years, and has now found herself in the position of the only female elected representatives among sixteen.
"There are 16 councillors, I consider myself as one of 16 and not the only woman and fifteen men. Maybe because of my teaching background I feel reasonably in control in the chamber and certainly my experience has been that there has never been anything that's in anyway anti-women.
"In my own party itself the Chair is a woman and we have nine female candidates in this election. We have two female MEPS and one female MP. The party leadership, particularly Gerry Adams encourages women, young women, to be actively part of the party. The party has a gender equality officer who is pro-active in trying to involve women of all ages in the politics of our at all levels.
"At the extraordinary Ard Fheis it was fantastic to see so many young women there. I think we are certainly improving the situation of the number of women in politics but I'd concede that it's a very male dominated environment.
"I believe women have a awful lot to offer in the structures of everyday general life. I suppose most women are political with a small 'p' in their daily lives and within their own social environments. There is a fantastic strength there, a resilience and a gentleness. Extraordinary women do ordinary things.
She points to an iconic moment for her which defines the strength of women.
"In the '70s there was a curfew imposed in the Lower Falls, one of the most deprived areas in Ireland, there was very little food and they were unable to provide for their babies. Maire Drumm was instrumental in organising a lot of women to march to the barricades with prams full of food.
"Soldiers with guns were confronted by women with prams. That encapsulates for me how women respond, they distributed the food and marched right out again. When I was looking at that footage recently, it was an iconic moment."
As to encouraging other women in politics, Claire says, "I think we need to start at a level where women are at, where we bring the debate to women and they bring it back to us.
"That way we can manage to get female representatives who have the ability to articulate views, particularly young women, and can make a contribution at decision making level.
"In our own Cumann we have many articulate and active women and we actually work to accommodate women with young families and work around their schedules."
Claire says she gave very serious consideration in stepping up to the plate and taking on the mantel of running for an assembly seat.
"I gave it very serious thought, not because I'm a woman, before I agreed to run. I guess my decision goes back to my sense of fair play and the natural sense of justice.
"This, for me, if elected, is my opportunity to bring a degree of balance and another perspective."
