INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Demonstrations are planned from Tokyo to Mexico City, to celebrate International Women’s Day, with this year’s theme calling to “Accelerate Action.” This comes at a time where many activists worry that the current political environment may result in a backsliding on many of the rights they’ve long fought for. One in four countries reported a backlash against women’s rights last year, according to U.N. data.

International Women’s Day was first celebrated in the USA in 1909 and internationally in 1911.

While equality for women has come a long way, we still have some key areas outstanding. Political representation is an area that needs to be addressed. In Ireland, of our 160 TD’s only 36 are women, only one in five.

Women still form the largest percentage of those in low paid insecure jobs, they form the majority of people giving care both paid and unpaid. We are all aware of just how inadequate income in this area of work is. Recently, on RTE’s Liveline, we listened to the heart-breaking stories told by people who are still actively caring for a family member but on receipt of their state pension their care’s allowance was cut or stopped.

During the debates in the run up to the last election (November 2024) we heard a lot of discussion on crime and crime on our streets. No doubt,  this issue is very important and needs change, however the issue of crime within the home was rarely mentioned. Domestic violence within the home is as much a crime, accounting for more deaths than those though gangland killings. The Gardai receives between 500- 600 calls per week relating to domestic and sexual violence within the home.

All to often women still have no where to go, if they leave the family home due to violence. A housing crisis and with only one third of the required refuges to accommodate women and their children mean that many women stay in unsafe and violent homes.

The theme ‘accelerate action’ requires us all to examine how we support equality for women and where we can take action or offer support on a practical level.