Sheena Campbell Cumann
Queens University
The days of the majority of women being confined to the home in order to do “womanly things” like clean, iron, wash, mind the children and not forgetting having her “darling” husbands’ dinner ready on the plate for him coming home from his so-called hard days work are thankfully long gone. We are now in the 21st century were women now have the opportunity to display their many talents in the pubic sphere and pursue any career they so wish.
Ógra Shinn Féin in passing the motion to having 3 females and 3 males elected from the floor to the national executive have at last recognized the ability of their female counterparts and are actively promoting their skills and abilities.
In passing the motion, Ógra Shinn Féin has also agreed to promote females within their own local cumman. There are indeed many capable and intelligent young men within Ógra but we need to ensure that females feel as equally as comfortable within their own cumman and that they are being listened to and respected. Ógra Shinn Féin prides itself on being a feminist but to be a feminist is to oppose a male dominated system which it currently is.
Ógra aims to reflect the population of the country in order to represent every-one equally but yet it is comprised predominantly of males when females make up half of the population. However Ógra is about change and ensuring equality for all in this country and in order for this to be achieved we need not only to be encouraging the young female activist within Ógra but also constantly recruiting more and more young ladies into our local cummans.
However, while males can support and promote their female counterparts it is ultimately up to all of you young ladies to realize the potential that you yourself hold.
I know that yes, getting up and speaking is nerve wrecking and your afraid what you have to say is not valid but Ógra is a place of debate and where ideas are exchanged and so every opinion is as valid as the next.
In order for the real change to occur we as young women need to have the confidence to promote ourselves and use the many skills and abilities we have within not only our local cumman but also on a national level.
Women have been at the fore front of this struggle since the beginning and have died along side their male comrades. It is up to us to therefore continue to be the voice of women if we remain silent then things will remain as they are.
13 comments:
Great article Gemma, couldn't have put it better myself. Ryan
Great article Gemma. I agree with everything said. Women in the republican movement have almost been written out of our history, but it is fitting to see that you have incleded a women that was one of my personal insirations to join the movement 3 years ago. Ironicly it was a woman that i asked to join at that time. Equality for all. I encourage young people to still flock to our movement especially young females.
Tíofáidh ár lá
Male Comrade
Great article-i think it is great to see ogra taking the lead in addressed the gender issue.
Below are links to 2 videos i seen recently highlighting the role that women have played in the struggle-they put things into perspective for me.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=Crhgwt4fAfk
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=-v4WDTZlpZg&feature=related
ARISE!!!
maith thu.
very good article
"in the pubic sphere"... hope that wasn't a Freudian slip.
Great article A Chara! Leinster is start to be over come with truly great activities and it so happens that the majority of them are females.
At the National Congress Leinster ran 5 candidates for the national ex 3 of which were female. Out of the 5 candidates 3 got elected 2 of which were female. I can truly truly say none of the 5 were tokenish and we didn't even think about gender when we were nominating them just who would be best for the job.
There are even two Ógra cumainn in Louth where the majority of active members are females. The Cumainn female members are evening planning on putting a booklet together on past and present female republicans, something like "Awaiting the Lark"
What can i say i just put it all down to the Ógra organiser in Leinster lol
To me there is nothing more beautiful then a young active female republic, and there is nothing more inspiring either.
Great article, but, as the composition of the new Organisational Development Unit shows, the rest of the party still has a way to go on this issue.
'Big Euge',
'Nothing more beautiful than a young female republican'?
so what you are implying is that male activists are great but a female stuffs a few envelopes and it's inspiring?!
or is what you're implying something more along the lines of physical beauty? if so then that's slightly worrying and totally contradictory as to your original point.
a fair point but it has got a hint of the aul ~pat on the head, good girl well done~ sort of feeling, something which i imagine is a factor that turns great female activists off the current quota system in place in the Ard Comhairle and more recently an Comhairle Naisiunta, this is completely counter-productive and it's comments like your own (although well intended) that are the root cause of this.
i know your point was one of good intent but a word to the wise, perhaps next time you could choose your words a little better?
as for the pat on the back for the Leinster Organiser, one must remember..self praise is no praise!
Well said Gemma
i must agree
big euge you really offended me with your "sexy republic" remarks
I hope you can explain yourself, with out "patting us wee girls on the head!"
Hi Aine
As I have explained to you already about the comment! To me there is more to beauty then physical appearance (I thought you and “brain” would know that only joking) and that it is not the external but the inner beauty I refer to. Also as I explained to you, to me I find all republicans inspiring, I find it more inspiring when I see a young republican because to me it harder being a young person and being in the party and on top of that I find female young republican even more inspiring because of the extra barrier and challenge that they have to face entering a male dominated party. You know me personally Aine and I take the point your making and I apologies if it course offence because it was not meant in that manner but I still stand by the comment. You should know my view on gender equity by now and I will always do all I can to promote female with in the part particularly hard workers like your self. With regards to the Leister organizer being great you know it is true (by the way when I say it like that you should know I joking)
Big Euge
hey, I think alot of the points raised by both aine and "big euge" are very interesting.
While you may be referring to that of "internal beauty" what aine like many other females is aware of is that alot of times young girls are seen to be merely pretty things to look at and for your entertainment.
Whilst we should rejoice in out feiminity and differences should be embraced.just never forget boys that beauty doesn't mean like of brains!! ( I know that is hard for men to comprehend.. only jokin)
Our focus now needs to be making every1 else aware of the value of females and promoting them along side their male counterparts.
hey "big euge" what you must not dismiss aine's point even if you dont see females as mere objects to be looked at there alot of people both men and women out there that do.
I praise your work you are doing in leinster and would ask how you are achieveing it?
Is the lack of females due to lack of recognition for the ones that are that as I find it hard to believe men have More passion than women on the unification of ireland amongst other things. Are history tells us men and women stood side by side.
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