David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman. May I say how welcome and instructive the visit of our distinguished guests is. Some of the questions I was going to ask have been at least partially answered. I was going to ask about the significance of cultural determinants because these are terribly important. I do not think we can afford to be too superior in this country. I am quite elderly, which comes as a surprise to people, but I am. I was an exact university contemporary of Mary Robinson, with whom I am sure the witnesses are familiar. I was very interested in the comment that ending poverty starts with women because several years ago Mary Robinson spoke in the Thomas Davis theatre in Trinity College, at an event which I believe was hosted by Oxfam, and this was the theme. She spoke very effectively.

Mary Robinson and I won the same prize for coming first in our subjects in university. I was a foundation scholar but she was a non-foundation scholar because women were not allowed to be foundation scholars. When I was an undergraduate, women had to leave the university premises by 7 p.m., otherwise they were fined. They could not be members of the main debating societies. Until 1882, women's property was immediately and automatically assumed into their husband's estate on the moment of marriage. We are all travelling, perhaps at slightly different rates for different reasons, along the same road. Therefore we cannot afford to be too superior.

I very much welcome what Mr. Clarken said, and the former Minister, Deputy Smith, noted it also, that a culture which discriminates is not worth preserving. He went on to say something from which I took even more heart, which is that we must not be precious. Very often in these diplomatic circles I see a preciousness that we must respect culture because of a colonial past. This is rubbish. Where there is injustice, one must face it and confront it. One does not bury one's head in the sand because of an absurd inhibition about treading on people's corns.

We are used to the ideas of centrality, women, the family, child rearing and multi-tasking. What I found particularly interesting, which was also discussed at the earlier conference, was the significant proportion of contribution in agricultural areas.

Getting as many facts on this matter as we can would be helpful, since these difficult issues make a significant difference.

The case of the 14 year old girl involves martyrdom. Unfortunately, progress is often made only because we learn how extreme a situation is. It is awful to say this, but the terrible suffering inflicted on a 14 year old girl appears to have changed some of the cultural context in Pakistan.

Violence was mentioned. I have been approached and have proposed a motion. Perhaps my Dáil colleagues on the committee might consider a version of it. It makes a number of points, that we condemn sexual violence, that the Government should affirm Ireland's commitment to implementing UN Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security, that we play a leadership role in international efforts to end sexual violence, bring about accountability and support survivors of sexual violence in conflicts through Irish diplomacy and development assistance, and that we support the efforts of organisations that draw attention to and denounce sexual violence. The motion has been supported by all Independent Members and Opposition parties. I have been negotiating with the Government and gather that we will get its Members' signatures next week and that the motion will be passed unanimously in the Upper House the following week. I hope this tiny measure will help in a small way.

My final point stems from my personal interest and career. Most of what we have discussed relates to domestic violence, but there is also political and conflict violence, as it were. The phrase "the vulnerable of the vulnerable" was used. Let us not forget gay men. I had coffee with Mr. David Kato six months before he was murdered at the instigation - regrettably, as I am a Christian - of the Christian churches in his country in sub-Saharan Africa. Gay men are even more vulnerable than women. In recent months I heard a story on RTE radio or perhaps the BBC World Service of men being raped. They were not gay and the shame and humiliation they felt meant they could not speak about it. Rape was used as an instrument of terror. It was sexual violence that was not sexual in the sense of intimacy. It was used to degrade, demoralise and cow. Be it men, women or, in some appalling circumstances, children who are raped, we cannot afford to be precious.