Congratulations Michael D Higgins from mna na hEireann!

Published: Thursday, November 03, 2011

President elect Michael D Higgins has a long and distinguished track record of supporting women's rights as he showed in his responses to the NWCI's questionnaire in advance of the election. See below for the NWCI questionnaire and Michael D's responses.

Q.1 What major initiatives will you conduct as President to advance women's equality?

Next year will see a major review of our constitution and I would be encouraging everyone, including women's groups, to take an active interest in reflecting on how, as a living document, it might best serve all our citizens; men, women and children in the years ahead. I also intend to act as patron to a series of open Presidential seminars on key themes, and I believe that one of these should look at women's equality and participation, particularly in terms of public life and political representation. I believe that the President, along with others in positions of authority, can play a genuine role in combating violence against women, something that remains a serious problem. We know that attitudes towards violence against women are affected by cultural context, therefore it is important to create a culture where that kind of violence is unacceptable. As President I would use the discretionary space available to send a powerful signal against this kind of violence.  Women globally continue to face discrimination and hardship in terms of poverty, illiteracy, land right. I believe our country can continue to play a leading role in standing in solidarity with women worldwide who struggle for freedom and rights. There is much to be learnt from the global exchange of ideas and I can see a role in facilitating that exchange. I would be very open to acting as a patron for causes affecting women, should I be asked to do so, including those emerging directly from the grassroots. My wife Sabina has been my partner in everything and an activist and public person in her own right. If I was to be elected, she would, I believe, prove a valuable resource and, much as Martin MacAleese highlighted issues such as isolation amongst older men, I'm sure Sabina would make an appropriate and valuable contribution in many areas.

Q2. What do you think are the top three issues for women's rights in Ireland?

There are many issues. But to focus on just four that I think are particularly important.

• Fuller Participation in every aspect of life: Ireland can greatly benefit from women's full and equal participation and contribution in every area of our social, economic, cultural and political life. Although huge progress has been made I do believe there is still some distance to be travelled - most clearly in relation to increasing women's participation and representation in the area of politics.
• Violence against women As I outlined in the first question, violence against women is still a serious issue - one that takes many forms, not only in terms of physical abuse but in terms of mental and emotional abuse and in terms of systematic violence such as trafficking.
• Childcare and other caring roles childcare is an important issue for both men and women, but it does still affect women to a greater extent. Difficulties in accessing appropriate affordable childcare and a lack of family-friendly policies in the workplace can act as barriers to women's employment, education, and career progression. I might also mention that a large proportion of carers are women and caring work with family members or others, does not, I believe, receive enough acknowledgement or support.
• Poverty is an issue which can have a particular dimension for women. Many of those in the lowest paid jobs are women. The figures also show that a majority of single parents are women and that single parent households are more likely to be in poverty. As a legacy of the marriage bar, some older women have little or no contributory pension, leaving them very dependent on their partners and therefore quite vulnerable.

Q3. What are your three greatest achievements in supporting women's rights in Ireland and abroad?

I played a very active role in campaigns for access to family planning, divorce and other civil rights in the 80s and 90s. This was not always easy because at the time Ireland was still a place where you broke the code of social conservatism at your peril. I did pay an electoral price for my stance and lost my Dail seat following some of the more controversial referendums of the 1980's, but was proud to play my part in the drive for progressive change in Irish society.

For over thirty years in the Dail and Seanad, I worked for the advancement of women's rights both nationally and internationally. The very first legislation I worked on, with Mary Robinson, was a bill to remove the label of 'illegitimacy' from the children of unmarried mothers. I was also a member of the Government who introduced Equality legislation and set up the Equality Authority. There are many other examples.

I have always tried to promote women's rights in a global context. In addition to supporting small women farmers and speaking out against trafficking and sexual exploitation, I have consistently highlighted the experience of women in conflict situations from Iraq to Colombia, and the importance of their inclusion in any negotiations to build peace. Peace must take root in families and communities; it does not belong to the combatants alone. I think in Northern Ireland we have seen some powerful examples of the role women's groups can play in peace-building.

Q4. Would you describe yourself as a feminist?

Yes, most definitely. To me feminism goes hand in hand with a commitment to human rights, equality and fairness. It's a matter of women and men being respected as equal citizens. Feminism has been a tool for women's empowerment and advancement in many areas, but also for society's progress as a whole. Far too often we are presented with policies or systems that suit just one part of the population or perhaps affect women differently from men. It is only when we identify, challenge and break these patterns that we can move on and find the kinds of answers and new ideas we really need.

Q5. Would you be willing to participate in a national debate on these issues with other candidates?

I would be delighted to do so. Though the schedule is quite tight over the next three weeks!

The NWCI look forward to working with our new president and working with him to make Ireland a progressive and fair society for all its citizens.