Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In previous years, we have rightly lauded women whose achievements have been remarkable or the women we might personally aspire to be like. This year, as we celebrate International Women's Day I want to honour and show appreciation to all of those women we have in our lives who make it just that little bit brighter and that little bit better just by being there. They are the people we relied on most, personally and professionally, over the course of the past year. Women have been to the forefront of our medical services, a service of which we have never asked as much as we did over the past year.

We will never forget the contribution of all the women who worked through Covid, be they in medical roles, childcare, carers, Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána, and the women who stood behind the counters in our supermarkets and smiled, something I very much doubt they wanted to do but it made the rest of us feel that little bit safer and that little bit more normal. While doing this in the grips of a global pandemic, with the world off centre, these women stepped up again. They formed childcare bubbles so other women could go to work. They homeschooled and shopped for elderly and vulnerable neighbours. They became teachers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists for those in their care.

I prepared a speech about striving for equality and the theme of leadership and what it means but what I would rather do is read some excerpts of emails I have received from women in counties Longford and Westmeath over the past year. Their words show resilience fitting of true leaders in our communities. One woman wrote that lockdown hit her home very hard, especially this time around. She said she found that during this lockdown her role as a carer has become all-consuming. Most days she cannot see life outside of the walls. The alarm rings at 5.45 every morning and the gruelling day begins. The last time she checked she had one pair of hands but she is expected to grow another three just to get through the day. She states she has always known women were super but the last time she checked she was not Superwoman. She writes that she cannot keep it up and she is frightened. She states that Covid is awful and that herself and her family are fully aware of the dangers and consequences so they try their best to remain at home unless it is absolutely necessary. She says Covid have changed their lives so much that she is genuinely struggling to hold it together. Back when the world was normal, she worked full time in an office and now she works at home with her kitchen table surrounded by her children. Each morning, she surrounds herself with props to keep her children occupied with anything she can think of to buy five minutes to finish a piece of work. She states her daily view is a laptop, a box of cereal, juice, a plethora of cups and bowls and bread. One day she actually plugged the toaster in beside her. She states that just when she thought she could do no more she started to work full-time teaching her children who are different ages and at different levels, which means that effectively she has to be three teachers rolled into a single human being. She states she feels like a failure and doing nothing right but four things badly. She states there is no longer a clock in and clock out. She says she does not think she can keep it up but with ICUs full, they have to keep going, which is why she said "Yes" when she got the call to go back into work.

At our time of need these women met this need and did so in the most difficult of circumstances.

The research published this morning by Eurochambres is welcome. It is deeply concerning, but it is welcome. It evidences what I have heard throughout the past year, that is, women are carrying an unfair and disproportionate amount of responsibility. That is wrong and it must change.

The gender pay gap is wrong. We simply cannot continue to facilitate such exploitation of women, where they effectively earn over 14% less than men on average, equal to two months' salary. The day of 9 or 10 November marks that symbolic day but that symbolism must now turn into action. Those women escaping violence and abuse need wider supports. Given the 30,000 women waiting for gynaecological appointments and the backlog at CervicalCheck and BreastCheck, the very least women's health needs this year is a clear strategy to address what is a perfect storm brewing. The additional parental leave previously announced must come into practice.

We owe a debt to these women that will never be repaid through applause and nice words. What they need and what they deserve is a society that reflects their true worth, values them as equals and treats them as such. For that to happen, it starts here in this House.

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