One of the victims of the pandemic over the past while has been the absence of strong discourse on anything other than the virus itself. Like a tsunami, it has come in and engulfed everything, has suppressed debate on matters of great import and placed shadows into corners where light should be shone. And to be fair, that was to be expected.
There was a welcome respite from this lack of debate this week when we heard a quite remarkable speech to the Dail from Minister of State Josepha Madigan. Not just remarkable because of the Minister’s revelation that she had been sexually assaulted, but more because of what she described as the ‘unfinished democracy that has hampered progress and fairness for women in this country.
We are a great country for throwing light into shadowy corners and then crowing about it, believing that the torches we possess now are so much more powerful than they were in times past, when women in this country were treated appallingly right throughout their lives. Even in death, many have not been as honoured as their male counterparts have been. At this time in our history, it is opportune that Ms Madigan’s call to all for a debate on this should be followed through and acted upon.
When she spoke to her fellow female Oireachtas members and told them that while they may differ on political ideology, they were ALL battling to win this.
“We are all very much a part of the unfinished democracy that is Ireland when it comes to the representation and treatment of women.
But, while the picture may have improved slightly, we are still a good deal away from having a society that treats all equally in terms of voice, representation and identity.
Ms Madigan’s speech was also remarkable for the fact that it was so needed and timely. Anyone who has been covering or listening to reports from local Joint Policing Committees over the past year will see the raw statistics that have come out showing the increase of domestic violence over the past while, and there is no doubt that the real figures are much higher. This is happening in your area right now, tonight, tomorrow, the weekend.
So too with unreported sexual assaults — Ms Madigan said that incidents of sexual assault are a lot more common than “many believe” and that sexual and domestic violence “is emerging now as a dark feature of this pandemic”.
“I am old enough to know that there are very few women my age that have not been subjected to some form of sexual assault in their respective lifetimes, and I know this because I am one of them,” she said.
“It won’t come as a surprise to those of us of a similar age who have suffered this trauma. And sometimes we have suffered it more than once. It was, and is, a lot more common than many believe.”
“No doubt there is someone watching this speech, somewhere near to you at this very moment, where some form of sexual assault or violation is taking place” she added.
We just have to look around us to see examples of everyday sexism, of obstacles placed in the path of women and girls, of unfair employment and quality opportunities; of platforms in the media and in sport. We only have to look at social media, that cesspit of humanity to see the abuse, and in particular the sexual abuse, that is thrown at women, in and out of the public eye.
There is no doubt that the political discourse that has found its way at the top of politics worldwide in the past five years has enabled the bar to be placed lower in terms of what all of us now get away with.
We all need to keep our eyes open for this discourse and to call it out when and where we see it. If that is the legacy of her request for a debate, and her honest and painful admission, then it will be a worthy one for all of society.
