ISO: IRL
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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN


NATIONAL STATEMENT OF IRELAND

CONTRIBUTION BY
MR. MERVYN TAYLOR T.D.
MINISTER FOR EQUALITY AND LAW REFORM OF IRELAND
TO UNITED NATIONS FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCEON WOMEN

BEIJING, 6TH SEPTEMBER, 1995


Throughout human history, there has been a consistent and at times 
overwhelming pattern of inequality of opportunity between women and men. 
As we assemble here in Beijing, we have the opportunity to forge a 
destiny for the future in which this legacy of inequality can be 
overcome. 

On behalf of the Government and people of Ireland I wish to congratulate 
the United Nations on successfully bringing together representatives of 
the world community for this very important Fourth World Conference on 
Women. I also wish to thank our hosts, the People's Republic of China, 
for taking on the onerous task of organising this conference, in co-
operation with the UN. 

The Irish Government has an ambitious plan to make equality a reality in 
Irish society, both in law and in fact, and I reiterate the Government's 
commitment to this plan today. While much has been achieved since the 
last World Conference on Women in 1985, it is recognised that there is 
still a very considerable way to go. 

The Irish Government considers that the Platform for Action to be agreed 
at this Conference should be the blueprint for the future and we as 
participants must be committed to its implementation. 

Ireland wishes to see a strong, focused Platform, one which is positive 
and progressive, and builds on previously agreed standards. There can be 
no diminution of rights. The framework must be the human rights of women 
and the girl-child, from which flow all other rights. Women must be 
recognised as actors, and not as victims. The international community 
must build on what has been agreed at previous conferences, in 
particular at Copenhagen, Cairo and Vienna, to ensure equality and 
inclusion, with full respect for, and protection of, the human rights of 
women and the girl-child as we approach a new millennium. 

Throughout the world, virtually every system of Government has failed to 
achieve an equal participation of women and men in decision making. This 
has harmed the functioning of our democracies, and left our hopes for 
equal democratic participation unsatisfied and unfinished. We must 
urgently examine and remove all obstacles to women's full participation 
in public life. Political parties, social partners and public 
institutions, in addition to Government, must be moved to action. 

The Irish Government attaches great importance to equal participation of 
women in decision-making roles and is committed to a radical programme 
of positive action in appointing women to State boards. Our aim is to 
ensure that women account for at least 40% of the membership of such 
boards. I am at present examining, as a priority, possible legislative 
measures which would facilitate this outcome. 

The economic independence of women is crucial if equality is to be 
achieved. Women must have access to secure, well paid employment as a 
key to tackling other problems such as poverty, exclusion and violence. 
Education is of fundamental importance to achieving this access. In 
Ireland, despite twenty years of equal pay and employment equality 
legislation women continue to be under represented in management and 
high level positions. Strategies to promote the increased involvement of 
women in economic life must include positive action, appropriate family 
friendly conditions of employment, the increased sharing of family 
responsibilities, with a greater role for men within families and access 
to high quality child care as well, of course, as effective protection 
for legal rights to equality in the workplace. 

Ireland's employment equality legislation prohibits discrimination on 
the grounds of sex and marital status. I am at present updating that 
legislation and I propose to strengthen it and extend its scope. I also 
intend to bring forward legislation to outlaw discrimination in non-
employment areas also on grounds of gender, marital and parental status 
and on other grounds. 

Ireland supports an examination of international legal mechanisms to 
promote equality of women and men, with a view to ensuring their 
effective implementation. We would seek to contribute actively and 
constructively to such an examination. 

Women's health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, are 
also vital to the achievement of the aims of the conference. Ireland is 
committed to the principles enshrined in the Programme of Action of the 
International Conference on Population and Development. The Minister for 
Health issued guidelines in March 1995 for the development of 
comprehensive family planning services throughout the country. These 
services include education, counselling and advice on all methods of 
contraception and ready access to a choice of service providers. Steps 
have been taken to ensure a wide range of family planning services free 
of charge to the poorest in the community. In June this year the 
Minister for Health published a discussion document which reviews the 
health status of Irish women and examines how the health services could 
better meet the needs of women. An extensive process of consultation 
with women's organisations and bodies responsible for the health of 
women has begun on the document. 

The Platform for Action must have a strong text condemning all forms of 
violence against women, including violence perpetrated or condoned by 
the State, whether physical, sexual or psychological. The World 
Conference on Human Rights affirmed that gender based violence and all 
forms of sexual harassment and exploitation, are incompatible with the 
dignity and worth of the human person, and must be eliminated. Recent 
events around the world demonstrate how little regard is paid to this 
and we have all been shocked and horrified by reports of the degrading 
and dehumanising treatment of women in times of conflict. The 
proportions and urgency of the threat of violence require more than 
condemnation - it requires our attention and our action, in terms of 
law, administrative support, and resources. In Ireland I have introduced 
legislation which will further extend protection of women and children 
in situations of domestic violence. 

The Irish Government is committed to an education philosophy that 
embraces all students equally irrespective of gender. Full and equal 
access for females through all stages of the education system is a 
central tenet of our recently published White Paper on Education. At 
both first and second level there is an emphasis on equal participation 
by females and males in all areas of the curriculum. At third level, 
each education institution will have to develop and publish a policy 
which promotes gender equality. 

The purpose of Irish aid to developing countries is to reduce poverty 
and to promote sustainable development. If these objectives are to be 
achieved Ireland believes that women must be empowered as agents as well 
as beneficiaries. Their indispensable role at community level must be 
reflected in their full participation in the decision making process. 
The Irish Government is committed to mainstreaming questions of gender 
in the context of Irish aid programmes. The Government is also committed 
to increasing Ireland's official ODA by 0.05% each year in order to 
achieve the UN target of 0.7% of GDP. By 1997 we should be above the 
OECD average 

The Government of Ireland is also strongly committed to the 20/20 
concept as included in the Copenhagen Programme of Action. 

I believe that a vibrant, organised women's NGO sector is also of 
crucial importance. Independent women's NGOs should be recognised, 
listened to and encouraged to flourish by governments. NGOs have a vital 
role to play in agenda-setting and in charting practical strategies of 
action - in a way which complements rather than impinges on the 
democratic accountability of governments to Parliament and the 
electorate. I would congratulate the National Women's Council of 
Ireland, in particular, for their work in preparing for this Conference, 
and I will ensure appropriate involvement of Irish NGOs in the 
implementation of the Platform for Action to be agreed at this 
Conference. 

In every corner of the globe there are women and men who look to our 
deliberations here in Beijing to bring a new start to the construction 
of a politics of equality for the new millennium. We have an immense 
task in hand; let us now prove ourselves equal to it.