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Women still being seen as 'outcasts'
By Ciara Conway
As I sit to write this article, anger is growing at the terrible things that happened in mother and baby homes in our country. Young women forcibly separated, first of all from their communities, then from any sense of pride or self-worth, then from their babies. And their babies neglected, starved, illnesses untreated, labelled worthless, and ultimately buried in unmarked mass graves. Left in the end without even an identity. We know now that that happened as a manifestation of official policy. Young pregnant women were separated and confined in these brutal situations in order to enforce a stigma of shame. They were declared unequal – and treated accordingly. We hope that we have changed, of course we do. But we also know that official policy, even today, can result in heartless and inhumane outcomes. The medical card fiasco we are living through now proves this. The revelations in Tuam are graphic and appalling and are a reminder of a wider and darker past where our children were not cherished. The history of mother and baby homes in Ireland in the early and middle decades of the 20th century reflects a brutally, unforgiving response by society, religious and state institutions and, in many cases, families to young women and children when they were in most need and most vulnerable. Ireland was, at least in some respects, not entirely unique amongst countries in dealing with its most vulnerable citizens in a manner that would not be countenanced in a modern, civilised democracy. The revelations in Galway have brought to the fore the situation in other mother and baby Homes throughout the country. The practices in them have to date not featured prominently in the various reviews and investigations which have dealt with many of the past abuses which were inflicted on vulnerable citizens, many of them women and children. The need to establish the truth is fully recognised by Government. The Commission of Investigation will address the harrowing details emerging regarding the children who died in these homes and the many questions raised. We hope we have changed – of course, we do. However, what of the children’s referendum that was passed almost two years ago and is still not signed into law? If it was a fiscal referendum would we still be waiting for it to be signed into law? What of the children in direct provision? Are they to be the next scandal visited upon us? What of the child death inquiries of the children in care, where more than 230 children died in State care? Alcohol was seen as one of the top risk factors in all of those cases, yet we fail to successfully regulate and examine the problem this country has with alcohol. This commission must be the one that puts an end to commissions of inquiry which solely examine, let us be honest, why women were treated as second class citizens because of their biology. The Magdalene laundries, the women who suffered symphysiotomy, the hepatitis C women, Savita and the women in the mother and baby homes. It is shameful that this country has sought, and to this day seeks to treat women as second class citizens because of our biology. I hope we will be able in the lifetime of this Government to shine a light on those very dark and shameful episodes that have happened in the past but also in our very recent past. We must act to protect women and children. The word “outcast” derives from medieval times. When young girls and women became pregnant and were unmarried, they were asked to leave the village and live outside it because they were a burden and could not be fed or looked after. They often died in the woods because of malnutrition and exposure. That was in medieval times and “outcast” was a medieval term, yet in modern times and in modern terms, women, because of our biology are treated as second class citizens by being denied access to a safe range of sexual health and reproductive services as a right. Thursday marks the last of the hustings in Dublin for the leadership of the Labour Party. It has been a very informative and powerful experience for me to hear the resolve and the commitment of our membership to equality and to rebuilding and renewal of the party. The conditions we inherited made the pursuit of an equal society more challenging, but there has been some progress. Sadly, however, references to equality have almost entirely disappeared from the annual progress reports issued by the Government about our programme, except in relation to gender equality and same-sex marriage. Instead, a great many references to fairness have appeared and it’s not a true test for Labour. Our commitment must be to an equal society, a society that protects and respects each of its citizens. There are a great many citizens in Ireland today who have a long, proud record and tradition of voting Labour, because they believe in our vision of society. Many of those loyal voters have stopped believing, and we have to win them back. Only then, when we have restored the trust of our own, can we begin to rebuild. That requires work, commitment, humility, and respect for our voters. I want to be part of that fight. If elected, I will not accept cabinet office or a junior ministerial position. It has been suggested that in declining promotion I am looking for power without responsibility. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am not looking for power, and I will take responsibility. I will support the Government as it completes the programme. But if something is wrong, I will say it is wrong. If something lacks humanity I will call that out. If decisions cross the threshold of decency , I will fight to change that. Members of the Labour Party have until July 4 to cast their vote. I am hoping that they will back me and my vision for a radical change and a radical renewal.
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