Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the confirmation given by the Taoiseach and the Minister today that we will hold a referendum on gender equality in November of this year. It is fitting that such an announcement will finally give us the opportunity to remove the references to women in the home in our Constitution. I commend the work of the citizens' assembly on the issue and, indeed, the Joint Committee on Gender Equality for the considerable work it has put in on these matters.

Of course, one referendum or a series of referendums will not provide the silver bullet for achieving gender equality in Ireland. I welcome the work that has been done to date by the Government, including the advancements in gender pay gap reporting, the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill and progress achieved under the women's health action plan. However, as I am sure we would all agree, there remains more work to do to ensure that our country supports women in a range of ways.

Domestic violence leaves a deep and enduring mark on the women subjected to it and on our country. For many years, it was swept under the rug. I am pleased that we are putting ever more resources and efforts into stamping out this scourge on our society. The publication of the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence builds on the progress of previous strategies and sets a pathway forward. We must, however, ensure that adequate resources are given to service providers and women affected by this type of violence. My colleagues have spoken about refuges around the country, which are, of course, imperative. Our response should include an expansion of current refuge spaces, stronger sentencing laws for offenders and the introduction of paid domestic and sexual violence leave.

The voice of women is irreplaceable, and while we have much to do here at home to ensure equal access to jobs, healthcare and more, we must also be a champion for women's rights internationally. Any country that in 2023 still denies basic rights to women should be held accountable for those decisions. In recent years, Ireland has developed a reputation for democratic and social progress. We have built a strong standing within the United Nations and the European Union. I believe that we should use our position in these institutions to be the voice of the many around the world who have been denied the right to speak out by their own Governments.

As I speak today, I think of all the women who have overcome gender bias and discrimination over the many years of this State, rising to become business leaders, political leaders and community leaders, all of whom have made this country stronger. I am also minded of the countless women who were silenced and felt they were not supported by their State, and who died at the hands of their partners.

It is right that we mark International Women’s Day but we must recommit ourselves to ensuring that we strive every day in these Houses of the Oireachtas to improve the lives of every woman and girl in Ireland, and that we work to deliver real and substantial progress for women in Ireland. We will be the richer for it.

It would be remiss of me not to highlight the incredibly difficult and misogynistic world in which the women of the Oireachtas live and work. Their exposure to special treatment at the hands of nameless, faceless keyboard warriors is a disgusting sight to behold. Regrettably, however, some of those nameless, faceless warriors manifest themselves in constituency offices and public meetings around the country.

As a man, I take this opportunity to call out such behaviour and demand that it stop. The women of Ireland, our mothers, sisters and daughters, represent more than 50% of the Irish population. It is therefore fitting that we have a legal requirement to ensure a higher bar for the representation of women in elections, 40%, at the next election. I look forward to seeing more women in politics at every election in the years to come. If the young women and girls of Ireland cannot see it, how can they aspire to be it? Happy International Women's Day.

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