Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Nelson for taking the time to appear before us. She is very welcome. I read her statement with interest and the contribution she has to make to the discussion on women in the Constitution is hugely valuable, as well as the key issues that affect LGBTQIA+ groups in particular. I value her contribution and hear what she said in terms of not locking out marginalised LGBTQIA+, migrant and disabled women. I go further, we must lock it in. I know we share this across the committee, in our vision for what a new constitution and constitutional change would look like, that must be locked in and marginalised voices must be heard. I am quite excited about it as this is a really good opportunity for us to reset and what has come across in the committee and the other contributions made across other areas is that we need to look at our values as a nation and create a system whereby those values are captured and everybody is valued. I hear what Ms Nelson is saying in terms of class and the alienation or determination that can happen for that as well.

I have a number of questions. First, from working on transitional justice issues, Ms Nelson has likely witnessed the negative impact that the lack of equal representation of women within State institutions has had on those women, who are on the receiving end with the police, courts and associated systems. These institutions are mostly male dominated, despite equal opportunity legislation and affirmative action measures. With that in mind, could Ms Nelson identify how, within a new constitution, the right of women to full and equal participation and representation in all aspects of State institutions and governance, how that could be guaranteed? I have a number of other questions too.