Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister on this important day. He takes a particular interest in the matter.

The theme of this year's International Women's Day is breaking the bias. During the past two years under Covid, breaking the bias would have referred to our unfinished business of advancing gender equality, combating gender-based violence and addressing the gender pay gap. All of these are important issues that we need to consider and keep fighting for. This year, however, it is the Ukrainian women who are uppermost in our minds and who preoccupy our thoughts during international women's week. We have all seen photographs and coverage on television and streaming on our phones of women sheltering their children from harm, giving birth in bomb shelters, taking up arms to defend their country and fleeing with their children to our shores and other countries. The Ukrainian women who are already living in Ireland are doing their best to ensure that their families reach here and to organise the sending of provisions to their country. We stand in solidarity with the women of Ukraine.

While it nearly seems strange to speak about other challenges and issues, it is important that we do exactly that while reminding ourselves that we have the privilege of being able to do so and of gathering here in this safe space of the Seanad to listen and debate, a privilege that is now denied the women of Ukraine and many of the women of Russia.

I have been reading Michelle Obama's memoir recently. In her epilogue, she reflected on the journey that she took from the tough south side of Chicago to the elite Harvard Law School and then to the White House. She concluded that what she learned about most was inviting women in to work together. If we do that, we can begin to fear less, to make fewer wrong assumptions and to let go of the biases and stereotypes that sometimes divide us unnecessarily, which might allow us to embrace our similarities better. It is not about being perfect or where we get to by the end. There is power in allowing ourselves to be known and heard, owning our unique stories and using our unique voices. There is grace in being willing to know and hear others. That is how we become - as in the title of Michelle Obama's biography - and how we break bias.

The situation of the women of Ukraine has particular poignancy for us because it comes during the commemoration of the centenary of our own War of Independence and the establishment of one of the longest continuous democracies in the world. We can never forget the central role that women played in our successful revolution. It is almost impossible to imagine how it could have succeeded without that role. It should be a source of immense pride for us as Irish people that the Proclamation of 1916 may well have been the first revolutionary declaration of independence to demand full rights for women. The extension of the still unequal franchise to women in 1918 was an essential part of the radicalism of that election and the sweeping victory won by separatist republicanism, and so it continued through the War of Independence. However, there is certainly much more that remains to be done 100 years on in terms of equality for women.

We must pay tribute to the women in our communities and in local government.Local government is an important part of the administrative structure of the Republic. I am pleased to know so many strong and impressive Fianna Fáil councillors and, indeed, councillors from other parties. With the advance of social media and all the other challenges, it is a difficult road for women to take. We need to do what we can to ensure that maternity leave is in place for local authority members and Oireachtas Members. I know the Minister is working on that and I appreciate the meetings we have had about it.

I commend the Minister for Health and the Ministers of State, Deputies Butler and Rabbitte, for the very comprehensive women's health strategy they launched yesterday. It is the first such strategy we have ever had. It addresses many different matters, including fertility, menopause, period poverty, contraception and perinatal health. It is extremely important.

In 2019, Safe Ireland published a report called Gender Matters. It surveyed every type of community and society in Ireland and some of the findings and conclusions were interesting to say the least. For example, 17% of people felt that household chores should be a female responsibility rather than male. Interestingly, there was a stronger bias among people living in rural areas, where that figure went up to 28%. The report states:

Traditional views of gender equality, roles and responsibilities haven’t gone away. In fact they may be more traditionalist than expected, particularly in younger ages.

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Lad culture is alive and well.

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There are conflicting views on what constitutes progression.

It is a study that would merit another debate in the House. I thank the Acting Chair for giving me the opportunity to speak on this matter and I thank the Minister for listening.