Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in. I have one question and it is open to any of the witnesses answer. It relates to the removal of choice and making home economics a compulsory subject. What difficulties do gender norms and stereotypes present for getting buy-in? Making it compulsory does not guarantee buy-in. There is a grain of truth in all stereotypes and while some are redundant, others are formed on the basis in the Constitution, which guarantees the woman's place in the home. I say this as a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual, LGBT, community who understands that heterosexual people are often the biggest recipients of homophobia in schools and that "gay" is still a term of abuse in the playground. Anything bar rigid masculinity could be identified as such. Do we face a challenge in getting buy-in from all students and are stereotypes and gender norms an obstacle?