Irish women on UN agenda
The Minister will come under severe international pressure next week at the United Nations headquarters in New York where he will face accusations that Ireland has failed to fulfil its legally binding pledge to end all forms of discrimination against women.
A delegation of Irish women is determined to embarrass the Government over its poor record on women's rights when it makes a presentation to a UN committee the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Noirín Clancy, who is coordinating the Irish delegation, said they will highlight key areas where the Government has failed to end discrimination and inequality against women. These include:
the lack of a nationwide breast and cervical screening service.
the lack of women in decision-making positions.
lack of abortion services.
the absence of a National Women's Strategy.
But Equality Minister Frank Fahy yesterday rejected the claim that Ireland has an "appalling record" on women's human rights.
"The reality instead is that women in Ireland have made major advances and their position in society bears favourable international comparison," the Minister added.
He said the number of women working has risen from 40% in 1994 to 56% today and over half our graduates are now women and that women were in the majority in many professional fields.
