Letters to the Editor: Unpaid work of women is still being exploited

Globally, 65% of women’s working hours are not counted in GDP because they are spent doing unpaid care work.

Sarah Harte highlighted the staggering amount of unpaid care work done primarily by women — ‘Why does it still boil down to who cooks the dinner in the home?’ (Irish Examiner, January 10). Her reference to Oxfam’s critique of the economic measure of GDP merits further public discussion. It will help us decide what kind of economy and society we want to build in this era of growing inequality and climate change, what counts and how we count it.

Questioning GDP and our current economic policies helps us to discover what we value in society and why — asking why adding millions to the bank accounts of the super-rich and fuelling ever more excessive greenhouse gas emissions is more valued than caring for children, the sick, or the elderly. To create a fairer, human economy, the injustice of women’s and girls’ unpaid and underpaid care work is key. Social spending should be seen not as a ‘cost’ but an ‘investment’. Oxfam’s research has shown how investing in care sectors can lead to great reductions in poverty and gender employment gaps.

It is clear that care work is not adequately valued. Groups in Ireland strive to make care work more visible and valued. For example, Family Carers Ireland’s annual ‘Netwatch Family Carer of the Year Awards’ and carers’ self-organised ‘My Fair Home’ campaign.

Globally, 65% of women’s working hours are not counted in GDP because they are spent doing unpaid care work. There is a great deal more to care than a monetary value. Nonetheless, we feel it is valuable to attempt to put a figure on care to make it less likely that this work remains ‘socially hidden’ acting as a hidden subsidy to the market economy.

Truly valuing care work is essential both for gender equality and for a fairer economy. Two upcoming events present opportunities for public discussion towards this. Next week, Oxfam will release our annual Davos report taking stock of the state of economic inequality and outlining measures towards a more just economy.

In March, we will have the opportunity to vote on changing Article 41 of the Constitution. Each of these are a chance for public discussion on what kind of society and economy we want and a chance to progress ideas on how to move away from an economy that derives profit for a minority by exploiting the unpaid work of women and towards one that progresses economic and gender equality.

Aideen Elliott, Senior policy and research co-ordinator, Oxfam Ireland, Thorncastle St, Dublin 4

Price of power

Reports suggest a price war has begun among energy suppliers. Does this mean that the last person leaving the country can leave the lights on?

Peter Declan O’Halloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan

London obstructs justice for bombing

On the issue of the controversial Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy Bill Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris challenges the Government to answer questions regarding its own record on tackling legacy issues in its own jurisdiction — ‘UK writes to Government to formally register regret at legacy legal case’ (Irish Examiner, January 8).

May I suggest Mr Heaton-Harris informs himself of a report issued by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice in 1984, highlighting instances of Downing Street obstruction in investigating the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of1974 in which 34 people lost their lives. The British government ignored three all party resolutions passed unanimously by Dáil Éireann in 2008, 2011, and 2016 urging the British authorities to make relevant undisclosed documents available to an independent, international judicial figure. Since these bombings occurred in 12 British prime ministers and 11 taoisigh have held office. It is regrettable that British policy remains unchanged.

Refusal to aid Judge Barron’s inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, to reveal its role in the killing of Pat Finucane and other acts of violence or previous commitments on truth recovery, does not bode well for the new scheme. I believe that no matter what verbal assurances victims’ families may get, no British government will tell the truth about its role in fomenting and driving the conflict. Britain broke previous pledges because it has no intention of exposing its core responsibility for violence — directly or through loyalist agents.

Tom Cooper, Irish National Congress, Dublin 2

Slow cycle

Regarding the planned 3,500km of cycleways linking 200 settlements: Why do we have to wait until 2040? Every thing moves at a snail’s pace; just get it done.

Anthony Tobin, via email

Gambling addiction

For many years I have advocated for the introduction of legislation to tackle the ever increasing detrimental social and economic consequences of the gambling industry in this country. Motivated by greed, a bad situation continues to worsen due to the evolution of technology with the direct result that the number of people with a gambling addiction is on rise. Each of these victims may have a family or dependents who are suffering as a result of the addiction.

The response of our legislators to date has been complacent in the extreme with promises for years to regulate the gambling industry. This eventually led the government back in 2013 giving the commitment to appoint a Gambling Regulator to ensure that the industry as a result of progressive legislation would be fit for purpose with protections in place to safeguard the thousands at present addicted to gambling.

Despite another 10-year wait and numerous promises made, the reality is that no government has enacted the necessary legislation that could alleviate the suffering experienced so many people, whose only misfortune is to have become addicted to gambling.

As this is a election year, the electorate have the opportunity to passed a verdict on the above issue.

Tadhg O’Donovan, Fermoy

Israel ignores basic law of dignity

While trying to understand Israel’s policies regarding their attacks on Gaza, it occurs to me that it is important for the US, the UK, and other countries to request Israel set out the guidance procedures it uses to distinguish a Hamas terrorist from a Palestinian civilian.

Does Israel have a documented definition as to what constitutes a Hamas terrorist?

Are all conscious supporters of Hamas deemed by Israel to be Hamas terrorists? Are the families of Hamas terrorists deemed to be Hamas terrorists? Are shopkeepers selling to Hamas terrorists deemed to be Hamas terrorists? In short, are all Palestinians deemed to be terrorists?

We are told that the Israeli Army operates under strict rules of engagement, but what are they? For example if there is a child in a room with one Hamas terrorist, is it permisable to kill that child in order to eliminate the Hamas terrorist, and if so, what are the guidelines? If there is one Hamas terrorist in a hospital ward full of children does the killing of this Hamas terrorist justify the killing, accidental or otherwise, of all the children in the hospital ward?

And who looks at or examines the procedures of the Israeli Army and approves them? Do the countries who offer unconditional support to all ‘defensive’ action have an agreed policy on what constitutes an acceptable number of dead babies beyond which they will withdraw their support, or is this number limitless, as many of us suspect?

Speaking personally, if someone were to kill my family, I would of course like to seek retribution, but there is a law to stop me. I would not have permission to kill the people in the block of apartments or indeed town, or country where the killer lived, or used to live or was seen at one stage. It strikes me that laws are needed to curtail the strong feelings which abound in relation to Gaza and the West Bank.

Finally, the government of Israel as a sovereign state should be answerable in some meaningful way to some outside agency. In some sense it must deem the life of a Palestinian as being of importance. Israel has Basic Laws one of which is to protect human dignity and liberty, which provides that: no person’s life, body or dignity shall be violated by virtue of being human

Mary Hargaden, Bray, Co Wicklow

Genocide claims

Interviewed by RTÉ concerning the South African case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stated he would be “a little bit uncomfortable accusing Israel, a Jewish state, of genocide”.

Accusing that state of genocide, is not tantamount to accusing Jewish people, the majority of whom live outside Israel.

Equating the two, which antisemites are also fond of doing, condemns all Jews for the actions of Israel and equates all Jews with it.

Where is Mr Varadkar’s “discomfort” at the slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians?

And why is it acceptable to have a state with rights for only one group of people?

Mr Varadkar is digging the hole he has made deeper and deeper.

Stephen Bedford, Charleville Mall, Dublin

A shared humanity

The now widespread use of the term “rough sleeper” shows very little respect for a fellow human being in that situation. Surely a “person sleeping rough” would be more appropriate and help focus minds on our shared humanity.

Alice Leahy, Director of services, Alice Leahy Trust, Bride Rd, Dublin 8