| No Place For Violence Comment
Women’s groups in Ireland and all those who are concerned with the issue
of women’s rights in general are right to welcome and endorse the latest
report on the matter published by the United Nations.
The report, prepared by the UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW), is critical of the anti-women stereotyping that it
perceives inherent in the Irish Constitution.
It is also highly critical too of the high levels of violence against
women in Ireland and of the efforts so far of the Irish Government to deal
with it.
The committee does acknowledge some positive developments that the government
in Ireland has undertaken since it published its second and third reports
on domestic violence against women in Ireland in 1999.
But it outlines remaining and on-going serious areas for concern and
makes some far-reaching recommendations.
The committee has called on the Irish Government to submit a copy of
its report to all relevant Ministers and to the Irish Parliament in an attempt
to ensure the full implementation of its recommendations.
It was some 20 years ago that the government in Ireland signed the International
Convention of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
This latest report provides a snapshot of how much the government is
on track for delivery on the Convention’s proposals thus far.
There is a requirement by each signatory to the Convention to present
a report every five years of its progress to date.
The UN committee had recently received the latest such report from Ireland
and was stinging in its comments back.
It found that the government in Ireland was seriously wanting across
a whole range of issues involving women’s rights. It has insisted that these
issues should be seriously addressed.
It is particularly shameful for Ireland to be criticised by the UN in
this fashion, since the country has led the way in its treatment of women
and respect for the role they play in society, having elected not one but
two women Presidents.
When Taoiseach Bertie Ahern returns from his summer holidays in Kerry
next month he should do all that he can to underline Ireland’s obligations
to actively pursue the achievement of proper equality between the sexes
in Ireland and bring an end to this disgrace of violence against women.
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