Soft justice is belittling for victims
HARDLY a day goes by without the Road Safety Authority urging drivers and pedestrians to take extra care.
The RSA rightly highlight what can happen if rules are not followed and laws, which are there to protect the public, are broken.
There are adverts which show in graphic detail the horrific consequences for the victim of road accidents. Yet the consequences for motorists who maim pedestrians can be little more than a slap on the wrist.
Sean Healy suffered life-changing injuries when he was hit by a car driven by Marty Woods in Co Tipperary in 2016.
His wounds were so severe he needed plastic surgery while he also sustained fractures and needed a metal plate inserted in his face.
It is almost beyond belief that the hit-andrun driver who caused this walked from court with a €100 fine and a two-year driving ban. Woods, who was also convicted of dangerous driving, was ordered to pay €1,000 compensation to Mr Healy.
It is supposedly a very serious offence for someone to leave the scene of an accident as is dangerous driving.
Imposing a such small fines in such cases sends out the wrong message and not only undermines the seriousness of these crimes, but also belittles the victims.
IT started out as a protest in New York in 1908 but International Women’s Day is still as significant as ever as awareness about gender inequality is raised around the world.
Some 110 years later and 2018 is set to go down in the Irish history books.
Last month marked the centenary of the women’s vote and women’s rights are at the forefront with the Repeal the Eighth campaign.
This year is also a reckoning for sexism with the #metoo and #timesup campaigns encouraging women to share their stories of harassment.
Still reeling from the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct allegations, Hollywood has responded with inspirational speeches from Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globes and Frances Mcdormand’s empowering Oscar’s acceptance address.
In Ireland, the First Lady of Louth Deirdre O’kane made waves with her super-charged opening monologue at this year’s IFTA’S calling out the Irish Film Board’s 50/50 gender parity.
She quipped: “We know that the men will be 50... but the women will still be in their 20s… and naked!”
In a year that saw women from all walks of life rise up in protests, power building and advocacy over issues of equality and harassment, organisers of International Women’s Day 2018 hope to ride that wave of activism with this year’s theme #Pressforprogress.
CAREER
The original aim – to achieve full equality for women around the world – has still not been realised.
It’s only been 50 years since Irish women were tied to the kitchen sink and the idea of a long-term career was only for those with grand notions.
The Housewife Of The Year on RTE television was a ratings-topper, and women couldn’t even go for a pint.
Prior to the 1960s, no respectable woman could or would be seen in a bar. On the rare occasion they popped in for a half one they were forced to sit in a segregated Woman has pint in pub in 1946 snug. In 1970s Ireland, women were still legally obliged to give up their jobs on marriage and accept lower rates of pay for doing the same work as men if they worked in the public service.
They were locked up if they got pregnant out of marriage and had to cross the border and break the law if they wanted to buy contraception. There’s no doubt Irish women have more rights than their mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers but gender equality has yet to be achieved in many areas.
The latest CSO figures reveal that on average, women are paid 14% less than men, indicating pay differences are widening.
The gender tables might be being turning in the legal profession, with the majority of solicitors now female but women are still not equally present in equal numbers in politics. A EY’S Julie Fenton, Derarca Dennis and Sarah Connellan back International Women’s Day theme yesterday
Percentage women are paid less than men, according to CSO
Years since women garments workers marched through NYC
Percentage of deputies in the Dail who are female
total of 35 women were elected to the Dail in the recent election and now make up just over 22% of all deputies.
Ireland elected its first female president Mary Robinson in 1990 followed by its second Mary Mcaleese in 1997 but we have yet to get a female Taoiseach.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, females around the country should raise a toast to Mna na heireann, we’ve earned it girls...