James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As a man in public life, I firmly believe that gender equality is not just a woman's issue. It is an issue for all of us. True progress requires male allyship, and history has shown that when men stand shoulder to shoulder with women in the fight for equality, transformative change happens. In the 19th century, John Stuart Mill stood in the British Parliament advocating for women's suffrage, challenging those who dismissed the political rights of half the population. In the United States, Frederick Douglass, a man who had fought against slavery, took to the stage at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 and declared that women's rights were as fundamental as any human right. Closer to home, Garret FitzGerald, as Taoiseach, took on the challenge of workplace inequality, helping to dismantle the laws that once forced married women to leave their jobs. These men understood that their role was not to speak over women but to amplify their voices, challenge injustice and use their influence to break down barriers.

Today, we must do the same. We have made progress. Ireland is taking great strides in gender equality, from repealing the eighth amendment, when male allies played a role in standing up for women's rights, to the introduction of gender quotas in politics, the fight for equal pay and better representation in leadership. Just this year, we saw the launch of Cuan, Ireland's first dedicated domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency. This is a game-changer. It will expand refuge spaces, strengthen support services and ensure a zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence.

It is self-evident that a large amount of work is still to be done. Women in Ireland face a gender pay gap. Women are still underrepresented in business and politics. One in four women in Ireland experiences domestic violence. This is not just a women's issue. It is a national issue and men must be part of the solution. It is vital for men today to reflect on the example set by those who have championed gender inequality before us but I am deeply concerned by some of the trends we are seeing emerging among young men here in Ireland and around the world. We are witnessing the rise of toxic ideologies about gender spreading rapidly through online spaces and shaping attitudes in troubling ways. Figures such as Andrew Tait peddle a world view that is not just misogynistic, but dangerously influential. The impact is real. Young men are absorbing these messages and their perceptions of women are being warped by them. I have no doubt that many in the House have themselves seen or heard about this disturbing shift. We cannot afford to be passive in the face of this. It is imperative that we equip young men with the critical thinking and moral compass to challenge these harmful narratives, and we must do so quickly.

Research shows that attitudes formed in our formative years are difficult to unlearn, so the time to act is now. The urgency is not abstract and it is not distant. It is happening in homes and communities across Ireland today. One in four women in Ireland experience domestic violence in their lifetime, a statistic that should shock us all into action. This is not just a societal failure; it is a crisis. We cannot turn a blind eye. We cannot accept this as inevitable. It is within our power to change it and we must do so, and when men take an active role in fighting gender-based violence, supporting women's leadership and ensuring equality in the workplace, we move from words to actions. As we mark International Women's Day 2025, let us commit to a future where gender equality is not a battle to be won, and where we build an Ireland that is fairer, safer and stronger for everyone.

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