Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

Last week Senator Lydon called for a debate on equal rights for women. The Cathaoirleach and I recently attended an IPU conference in Geneva on equal and human rights for women throughout the world. There is urgency to this debate. In Swaziland recently a female student was attacked at a bus rank by a gang of bus conductors who repeatedly raped her because she was wearing a mini-skirt. Those same conductors had passed a policy banning mini-skirts because they were distracting and encouraging lustful thoughts. If this world has not moved on and if this country in its efforts to improve the way of life for women throughout the world cannot pass some note of condemnation, then it is a sad world. I ask for a debate on equal and human rights for women in Ireland and the world.