Madam, – As a young Irish woman, living, working, loving and expressing my way through the 2000s, I have always had a sense that there was something underlining my activities, and the process of making known my own thoughts and feelings to my peers, colleagues and society as a whole.
It took until the publication of the Irish TimesSisters supplement, to realise that what facilitates my potential, is all of those bold and fearless women who faced unpleasant conditions and behaviour, without fear. The timing of your excellent edition is commendable as it serves to remind us all that our human rights are not to be taken for granted but were fought for and continue to be so. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I loved Conor Murphy’s whinge about your Sisters supplement (May 26th) and his request for a supplement on the “subjugated” “brothers” (May 27th). Would some of those “subjugated” brothers include the fellows who have run the country into the ground in the nearly 90 per cent male Dáil, the fellows who bankrupted the economy through their abuse of power at the top of banks, the all-male Catholic hierarchy, who have hardly covered themselves in glory recently or the members of the drug gangs that hold whole areas of our cities to ransom? – Yours, etc,
A chara, – One woman not mentioned by correspondents (May 27th) was the present Minister for Health, Mary Harney, who has had devastating effects on the lives of many thousands of women throughout Ireland, be it in her support for neo-liberal politics (individualisation) or the hardship she has brought as Minister for Health. – Is mise,
Madam, – I cannot believe that you did not mention Gemma Hussey in your Sisters supplement. I can remember about 35 years ago being at a Women’s Political Association meeting in which Gemma Hussey was chairing Moran’s Hotel. Perhaps your researchers are rather selective in memory – rather like some of our extinguished politicians! (I don’t mean distinguished politicians). – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Thank you for the Sisters supplement (May 26th). It was fascinating to be reminded of the great changes that have taken place in the past 40 years. I hope it helps today’s young women to appreciate the battles won on their behalf by their grandmothers, mothers and aunts. In that context is was sad to read that Judge Susan Denham is the daughter of Douglas Gageby. So sad; no mother. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Órla Fagan, (May 27th) says, of women’s participation in politics, “ . . .our representation stands at just 13 per cent.” Whose fault is that, since women make up 51 per cent of the electorate? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I was looking forward to reading your supplement “Sisters” (May 26th). It contains some excellent articles on the many achievements in women’s rights over the past 40 years; achievements that I and my contemporaries have benefited from and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the women who blazed the trail before us. Thank you for providing us with an opportunity to reflect on this.
However, I cannot hide my dismay that the editorial team would choose to insert two additional issues under the guise of women’s rights: namely abortion, and gay rights.
With regard to the former, even that great feminist Germaine Greer maintained that far from being a right to be won for women, abortion is detrimental to women and an insult to our uniqueness as the bearers of human life. With regard to the latter, gay rights have nothing to do with rights for women in so far as they are equally relevant for gay men. The article by Drs Gilligan and Zappone could almost lead one to believe that its inclusion was little more than self-serving journalism on the part of The Irish Times. But surely not! After all, we would expect to see honesty and transparency in its own dealings with the public of the kind The Irish Times so often demands of others. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Congratulations on the Irish TimesSisters supplement! What a wonderful, progressive newspaper! Ladies, a lot done, a lot more to do. – Yours, etc,