Women should work together for society

Your columnist Victoria White ‘stands by her Irish men’ and queries the existence of the National Women’s Council (October 11 p12).

In her opinion, NWCI and feminism in general have successfully reached ‘nearly every goal of the 1970s’ so can therefore just close the shop.

Instead she suggests a National Men’s Council to support men who have lost their jobs and are bearing the brunt of the recession.

Paradoxically, all the issues that White raises on behalf of Irish men are issues constantly raised by feminists in Ireland: paid paternity leave, recognition of the fathers’ role in raising their children, lessening of the “breadwinning” pressure for men etc.

Furthermore, the fact remains that Ireland is decades behind other countries in terms of women’s status. The constant low percentage of women in the Dáil (14%) is just one example.

Another more serious reflection of the conservative nature of Irish society is ironically addressed on the same page as White’s column – abortion.

Here we have the editor’s condemnation of how a woman was given the opportunity to speak from the pulpit inflicting shame and guilt on other women in general and mothers of special needs children in particular.

It is a pity that some women engage in a war against other women instead of focusing on the needs of both men and women in Irish society. We need to work together in order to change things for the better.

Anna Karin Kingston (PhD)

Togher

Cork