Banned — an attempt to improve the lot of half the world’s population

THURSDAY, International Women’s Day 2007, began without the sounds of Trócaire’s Lenten campaign on the airwaves of commercial radio stations.

Apparently the message that women — not in Ireland, mind you, but in developing nations — should be given the opportunity to earn money, be educated and to live without fear of physical, sexual or psychological abuse, is considered too political.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) determined that a message to bring hope to billions of women, half the world’s population, is sufficiently political a sentiment that it should not be allowed on air.

Every day we are bombarded with advertisements asking us to spend money on goods and services we don’t need or want. We hear ads telling us how to spend our money on goods from overseas, goods from Ireland, goods that improve the environment. What is so awful about hearing advertisements aimed at improving the lives of women in countries thousands of miles from us? How is that a political message?

The BCI has made some strange decisions in the past but I weep for a country that can no longer look at a human who needs help and think only of whether or not it’s politically correct to give that help.

Catherine Sheehy

Cedarwood Grove

Carrigaline

Co Cork