MEP Nessa Childers said she knows from experience that women in politics are "shouted at, bullied and intimidated into submission".
The European Parliament candidate was speaking in response to a National Women's Council Of Ireland report issued this morning called A Parliament of all Talents: Building a Women-friendly Oireachtas.
Recommendations in the report included introducing maternity and paternity leave, more business hours instead of late night debates and video conferencing.
The report also said a 40 per cent gender quota should be implemented for Cabinet appointments.
Ms Childers said capable women are put off from joining politics by the "macho -culture".
“In almost all aspects of public life, an intoxicating macho culture exists, which means only the loudest, most brash voices are heard,” she said.
“I have personal experience of this type of bullying, which is used to keep people in line.
“Sadly, it is a culture that stops talented, bright and able women from immersing themselves fully in political life.”
Ms Childers said it was not a question of women not having the talent.
“‘Overall, girls and women in this country do better in school and in university,” she said.
“The very first thing that the establishment parties need to seriously examine is the existence of this macho mentality amid their ranks.”
Ms Childers referred to figures from the website womenforelection.ie, which showed 86 of the 566 candidates in the General Election 2011 were women.
“We currently have the highest ever female representation in our chamber - but I imagine most will agree that a paltry 15 per cent is simply not acceptable,” she said.
Ms Childers said the number for female politicians were slighly better in Brussells.
She said five of Ireland’s MEPs were female this year and more women than men were running for election.
“There is no doubt that the European Parliament set-up is far more conducive to family and personal commitments outside of the office. It shows that political and private lives are compatible,” she said.
