2009 Press Releases
Irish Women’s Voices on Europe
14.09.2009
Academic research has shown that after the farming community, Irish women have benefitted most from EU membership. Yet it also shows that Irish women are more likely than their male counterparts to reject EU treaties, a fact supported by the latest TNS MRBI poll which shows that 52% of male voters say that they will vote yes in the forthcoming referendum on the Lisbon Treaty compared with just 41% of female voters.
14.09.2009
Academic research has shown that after the farming community, Irish women have benefitted most from EU membership. Yet it also shows that Irish women are more likely than their male counterparts to reject EU treaties, a fact supported by the latest TNS MRBI poll which shows that 52% of male voters say that they will vote yes in the forthcoming referendum on the Lisbon Treaty compared with just 41% of female voters.
With this in mind, Drs Clodagh Harris and Emmanuelle Schön Quinlivan of UCC’s Department of Government hosted a one day public consultative conference on Irish women’s voices on Europe on September 8th 2009.
Opening the conference, Mary Hanafin, Minister for Social and Family Affairs said: "there appeared to be a degree of hesitation among Irish women about Ireland’s participation in the EU’. But she added that she was ‘hopeful that robust guarantees agreed with the other EU countries would address people’s concerns this time."
Examining how Irish women have benefitted from EU equality legislation Professor Yvonne Galligan of Queen’s University Belfast highlighted the need for a gender equal democracy in Europe. Assessing the Lisbon Treaty and the recent guarantees secured by the Irish Government, Dr Gavin Barrett of University College Dublin told the participants that the only way that Ireland could retain a Commissioner was by agreeing to Lisbon.
Sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs’ communicating Europe initiative, the conference took a deliberative approach. On the day participants engaged with one another and with the expert speakers in small roundtable sessions. The topics debated included the Lisbon treaty and guarantees as well as their vision for the future of the EU. Consultative polls were held on the day to assess if participants’ views on the EU have changed after the day’s deliberations.
Picture shows Mary Hanafin TD, Minister for Social and Family Affairs (extreme right) with Dr Emmanuelle Schön Quinlivan, Department of Government, UCC, Professor Yvonne Galligan, Queen’s University Belfast, Dr Gavin Barrett UCD and Dr Clodagh Harris, Department of Government, UCC.
1138MMcS
Opening the conference, Mary Hanafin, Minister for Social and Family Affairs said: "there appeared to be a degree of hesitation among Irish women about Ireland’s participation in the EU’. But she added that she was ‘hopeful that robust guarantees agreed with the other EU countries would address people’s concerns this time."
Examining how Irish women have benefitted from EU equality legislation Professor Yvonne Galligan of Queen’s University Belfast highlighted the need for a gender equal democracy in Europe. Assessing the Lisbon Treaty and the recent guarantees secured by the Irish Government, Dr Gavin Barrett of University College Dublin told the participants that the only way that Ireland could retain a Commissioner was by agreeing to Lisbon.
Sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs’ communicating Europe initiative, the conference took a deliberative approach. On the day participants engaged with one another and with the expert speakers in small roundtable sessions. The topics debated included the Lisbon treaty and guarantees as well as their vision for the future of the EU. Consultative polls were held on the day to assess if participants’ views on the EU have changed after the day’s deliberations.
Picture shows Mary Hanafin TD, Minister for Social and Family Affairs (extreme right) with Dr Emmanuelle Schön Quinlivan, Department of Government, UCC, Professor Yvonne Galligan, Queen’s University Belfast, Dr Gavin Barrett UCD and Dr Clodagh Harris, Department of Government, UCC.
1138MMcS