‘We don’t recognise ourselves in the rosy picture painted by Minister Moloney’ say women’s groups

Published: Tuesday, March 09, 2010

ROSY PICTURE NOT ONE WE RECOGNISE, SAY WOMEN'S GROUPS.The National Women's Council of Ireland is astonished by the speech made by Minister John Moloney at the Commission on the Status of Women in New York this week. The Minister declared himself happy that gender equality in Ireland has 'advanced significantly' in recent years, and praised the record of his government, for, among other things, enhancing childcare services and increasing child benefit.'It is extraordinary that hot on the heels of cuts to child benefit, cuts to the National Women's Strategy, the dismantling of community projects, and cuts to services for women experiencing sexual and domestic violence, the Minister should tell the world that all is well for women in Ireland,' said Susan McKay, director of the NWCI.Cathleen O'Neill, director of the Kilbarrack Community Development Project in Dublin's northside, said that women in working class communities were experiencing severe hardship as a result of job losses and cuts to welfare and services. 'What women have here is unemployment, ill health and poverty. We do not recognise the Ireland presented in this rosy picture,' she said. 'It has nothing to do with our lives.'The NWCI and other feminist non governmental organisations have criticised governments attending the Commission, which was set up to review progress on women's rights since the Beijing Declaration and action plan in 1995. The groups said governments had 'depoliticised and diluted' the plan and had significantly reduced the ability of women's organisations to influence decisions. They had overstated progress and underestimated the challenges facing women. For further comment please contact:Susan McKay 087 7582222Orla O'Connor 087 6483516Cathleen O'Neill 087 7506188Ends.