Women’s rights have come a long way in Ireland since the 50’s.
I saw this article hanging on a friend’s kitchen cabinet recently. She said she put it there to teach her teenage daughters of the appalling treatment of women in Ireland not so long ago and as a reminder to never take for granted the freedom they now have.
The article was taken from a publication called Changing Ireland. (Synopsis of the article below)
International Women’s Day (March 8th 2017) is the occasion to celebrate women’s role in society – on a personal and professional level.
With that in mind I’d like to pay tribute to the many amazing women in my life.
My mum, a woman who always wanted the best for my brother and I, who encouraged me to pursue my dreams, achieve goals in life, taught me to do good to others no matter what and instilled in me a love of cooking.
My wife Siobhan, a woman of great strength, determination and beauty (inside and out). I can’t imagine my life without her – I love her completely.
My daughter Aisling, the light of my life, I pray she will grow to be a strong confident woman in a more equal world.
To my outstanding work colleagues; Mary and Chris. They are strong independant women – loyal, hardworking and passionate about helping people every single day in our office. I am very grateful to have them on my team.
To reach full equality there is still far to go – but for today, lets just celebrate the women in our lives.
In conclusion, here’s a brief synopsis of the Changing Ireland article above:
In 1955 Women in Ireland could not …
1. Keep their jobs in the public service or in a bank once they married
2. Get the same pay for jobs as men
3. Drink in a pub
4. Refuse to have sex with their husband
5. Choose her official place of residence
6. Own their home outright before 1976
7. Get a restraining order against a violent partner
8. Collect their Children’s Allowance
9. Sit on a jury
10. Buy contraceptives
