The Position of Women in Ireland

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This essay will analyse the position of women in Ireland in the post 1922 period with reference to legislation and socio-economic changes in a thematically order. The topics discussed will be education with employment and family with the Catholic Church by referencing primary and secondary material. Emigration of women will also be mentioned in relation to women’s employment opportunities abroad. The essay will end in 1973 when Ireland joined the European Union which is the end point for the course. From discussing the various legislations and acts that were implemented during this time there will be various questions considered, such as what does these legislations reveal about the opinion or role of Irish women in the post 1922 society? And did independence lead to equal rights of women?
In the early 1900’s women were treated unequally to men, they were second class citizens. Most women did not go on to second or third level education. Irish women were married at a young age and often had a large family, they were expected to stay at home and rear their children. Many did not have careers outside the home and so were financially dependent on their husbands. Women played a vital role in the early 1920’s in the Republican Army but references to women in such historical events are not referred to or discussed, women have still not been given recognition in any sense of the word. Most women were powerless without their own income it wasn’t until the option of emigration was available where they could emigrate, be economically independent and not be married at a young age. Emigration is a major part of Irish history. It can be seen throughout the pre famine years as well as the post famine era of the 20th century “One half of the gre...

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...e over law and societal opinion. Women were given the opportunity to vote, work outside the home, given sexual freedom. From this change we see there are a small percentage of women who are able to confront and challenge oppression. If we went back 70 years and asked the question will women ever be liberated, equal to men, independent? The answer would definitely have been absolutely no because people were influenced by the Church and the State, it wasn’t until people were being educated and stepping away from the Church and the State that legislation was removed and socio-economic changes occurred. “A deeper understanding of equality is based not on occupying male norms but on ending oppression of women, that is a situation where every woman can adopt freely and confidently her own route in life and make genuine decisions about her life as a woman” .

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