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

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. It is absolutely necessary that we, as women, do so, and I include myself in that. I have played by the rules. I have played by societal rules even when I knew they were not fair and placed a disproportionate burden of responsibility on me, as a woman, because from the time we are young girls, we are conditioned to develop an awareness that young men and boys are not. Think about that. It is very wrong.

We get advice and safety tips that we never ask for. We are told not to wear revealing clothes, to lock our car doors, to always get a taxi but remember to text the licence plate number to a friend, not to exercise with earphones in, not to agitate men and always to pop €20 in our bras on a night out to allow us to get home in the event we are mugged. The only real advice, the only real rule that is going to make a difference is one that states clearly and categorically, "Stop attacking women and girls because it will not be tolerated." As women, we deserve better. As a mother, I refuse to raise my daughters in fear.

I want to finish with an example of the real impact of gender-based violence. I received a message this evening from a woman who told me she went to the doctor today. She said it was okay, that is was difficult but she was glad she went. Once again, the labels of post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, and retraumatisation were given. She was told to stay off work for a minimum of three months. She has been referred for an urgent review, which is to happen soon and she hopes it will be useful. She told me she needs to get through this time and that she needs to get it sorted, once and for all. That woman was attacked in 2004. For 18 years, she has been living with that trauma.

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