I’ve no plans to encourage girls into politics: O’Dowd

He said there are significant opportunities already for girls to study politics.

“I have no plans to introduce a specific programme to encourage girls into politics. Pupils do have the opportunity to study significant political, social, economic, cultural and religious developments in the past and investigate its impact on our world today within the revised curriculum as part of the history strand of the Environment and Society area of learning at Key Stage 3,” he stated.

“Under the entitlement framework, Government and Politics is a subject of choice at Key Stage 5.

“This is a subject perhaps to which Political Parties should pay more attention by promoting equality of opportunity for young woman to engage in politics,” he said.