Increased measures by the State necessary to safeguard women and girls’ rights in Ireland
The U.N Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (‘the Committee’) has highlighted the low representation of women in both the Dáil and the Cabinet as priority issues which the State must address, amongst other conspicuous gaps in Ireland’s domestic and international gender equality obligations.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) welcomes this hard-hitting report from the Committee following the State’s examination before the Committee on June 20th, on its progress in implementing the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (‘CEDAW’).
Prior to the examination the Commission provided submissions to the Committee and met with the Committee in Geneva. We communicated our concerns about the State’s persistent failure towards women and girls in a number of key areas, and the de-prioritisation of gender equality domestically in contrast to Ireland’s advocacy on the international stage.
The Committee has recommended that the government amend the Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Act 2012 to require 50% gender parity in the quota on political party candidate selection to address the critically low representation of women in Irish politics. In addition, it has advised that its application be extended to the upper house (Seanad), the nomination of Cabinet ministers and local governance bodies.
The Committee also recommended that the State take other targeted measures to increase women’s participation in political life and to take concrete measures to combat online abuse and threats of gender-based violence targeting women in political and public life.
Notably, the Committee has “deep concerns” about access to justice for women, particularly survivors of institutional abuse and those from structurally vulnerable groups.
Echoing numerous appeals from the Commission, the Committee today highlighted its concerns about “arbitrary barriers to redress for survivors of historic abuse in Mother and Baby Institutions, the Magdalene Laundries and other residential institutions”, and in particular, “the failure to fully implement the 2014 O’Keeffe judgment which established that the State had partial responsibility for protection of a victim of sexual abuse that occurred in a day school setting”.
In relation to abortion services, the Committee voiced its concern about the non-implementation of the O’Shea Review and advised the government to “urgently implement the recommendations.”
Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick said:
“We are delighted that the Committee has taken onboard many of IHREC’s concerns about the State’s continual failure towards women and girls in a number of key areas, including political representation and redress for abuse survivors.
Today the Committee has made concrete recommendations to the State on how it can ensure that women and girls are afforded the protections that the State is obliged to provide under our international commitments. We eagerly await a positive and enthusiastic State response that will progress these matters domestically and enhance our international reputation as leaders in equality and human rights.”
The Committee has identified four priority recommendations that require urgent action:
- constitutional reform on amending article 41.2 of the Constitution to remove the stereotypical language on the role of women in the home;
- enactment of equality legislation addressing intersectional discrimination;
- removal of barriers to redress for victims and survivors of institutional abuse; and,
- adoption of temporary special measures, including parity nested gender quotas, in all areas where women are disadvantaged or underrepresented in both the public and private spheres.
Under this follow-up procedure, the State must respond within two years about the progress achieved in these areas. The Commission will continue to exercise its monitoring role to hold the State to account.
Notes for editors:
The Committee set out a number of other areas where the State must act to fulfil its obligations under CEDAW:
- On national policy: The Committee was concerned about a lack of an intersectional gender perspective in national policy mechanisms. The Committee recommended that the State apply a gender-based intersectional perspective in all thematic areas and integrate gender-proofing into budgetary process.
- On data collection: The Committee raised concern with the lack of comprehensive disaggregated data which impacts on the State’s ability to properly assessment the impact of policies on women, including structurally vulnerable groups of women. The Committee called for the State to prioritise the adoption and implementation of a National Equality Data Strategy ensuring systematic, intersectional data collection.
- On poverty: The Committee raised concern with the disproportionately high risk of poverty for female-headed households. The Committee recommended the State to develop a comprehensive strategy to address feminization of poverty.
- On climate action: The Committee expressed concern with the lack of a gender perspective in climate change mitigation and adaptation measures and the inclusion of structurally vulnerable groups of women in climate decision-making. The Committee recommended that the State ensure the full integration of a gender perspective in climate change mitigation and adaption policies, and the meaningful inclusion of women, including structurally vulnerable groups of women, in climate-decision-making.
- On women in detention: The Committee noted with concern the significant overrepresentation of Traveller women in prison and the high levels of overcrowding in women’s prisons. The Committee called for the State to take immediate and effective measures to address overcrowding and ensure that conditions in prisons meet international standards
ENDS/
The CEDAW Committee concluding observations on Ireland can be accessed at: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CEDAW%2FC%2FIRL%2FCO%2F8&Lang=en
Full and summary versions of the IHREC report are available at: