Debate contribution: International Women’s Day 2024
Debate contribution by Mrs Sinéad Ennis on .
- MLA
- Mrs Sinéad Ennis
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 11 March 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- International Women’s Day 2024
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4270086
Read the official Assembly record
Text
"Happy International Women's Day", or women's week, to everybody. I hope that everybody had a positive and enjoyable time over the weekend not only celebrating our achievements but advocating for greater equality. I want to use my time to highlight the inequalities that still exist for women in sport, but I also want to acknowledge and pay tribute to the organisations here in Ireland and across the globe that are working to end those inequalities. I grew up playing competitive soccer and football at a time when there was little or no infrastructure and few facilities for women and girls to encourage us into the sports that we loved. That is why I am forever thankful to my parents, who encouraged and supported my talents. While things have, thankfully, moved on and improved since I was a kid, we need to make sure that being encouraged into sport becomes a matter not of luck but reality for all girls. In recent years, we have seen the positive impact of national campaigns such as the national 20x20 initiative for women in sport. That seeks to highlight the impact of seeing and being role models and the essential part that they play in encouraging women and girls into sport. We know that that representation matters. It matters in sport, in politics and in all aspects of public life. I am a firm believer in the adage that says:
"If she can't see it, she can't be it."
I clearly remember being in my late teens or early 20s before seeing women's competitive sport on TV. Even now, no matter what sport it is or what team is playing, even though I am an ardent Manchester United fan, if I see women's sport on TV, I am transfixed and have to watch it, because that was just not the norm. The importance of visibility in the future of sport in Ireland and across the globe cannot be overstated. If women and girls do not see themselves reflected in sport, they may not realise their potential or recognise their talent, which is partly the reason why a large number of girls drop out of sport when they are in their early teens. We need to address why that is the case. There is a fundamental lack of understanding of women's bodies, such as the effect that menstruation has on athletic performance. The confidence that something as simple as having the right kit can give a young girl cannot be overstated. I wish that I had more time to go into my personal experience and to give some examples of how, historically, the teams in the sports that I played were somehow less important than our male counterparts. We had hand-me-down kits, no access to proper training pitches and the added burden of having to raise funds for basic essentials such as jerseys and transport to games. The list goes on and on. I think that the biggest indignity —
I will. Go ahead.
Thank you. I am not entirely aware of the specific area that the Member is talking about. When government money in particular is being used, it is important that it is built into the contract that facilities are not the preserve of men and that they should be for everybody. As I said, probably one of the biggest indignities was being denied access to our prestigious county grounds for championship or national league games. While I am glad to see that more women's matches are being played on our county grounds, it was not that long ago that we had to rely on the generosity of individual clubs to provide their facilities so that we could fulfil championship fixtures. That is both embarrassing and unacceptable. I fully support the efforts that are being made to amalgamate the men's and women's codes in the GAA, and I hope that we will finally see the fairer distribution of finances and resources. Equally, I am delighted that women's soccer teams North and South are finally and rightfully playing their games in the Aviva Stadium and Windsor Park and, hopefully very soon, in Casement Park. That should be the norm, not the exception. We need to take every avenue that is open to all of us to promote the importance of representation for women in sport in all areas where decisions are being made. While we are using International Women's Day to speak about issues that matter to us as women, we need to make every day be about recognising integrity, authenticity and excellence in whatever form it takes. Maybe we could start by changing our language around how we speak about women in sport. For example, why does it matter what women wear? Maybe we could question why women gymnasts wear skimpy leotards while men wear trousers. Maybe we could all make an effort to attend one female-specific sporting event every month. We could maybe read more by female journalists, or maybe we could ask our clubs, no matter what sports we are involved with, how many training sessions and how much equipment, support and access the women get in comparison with their male counterparts. Maybe it is time for all of us to recognise our own sheroes, because, after all, if you cannot see it, you cannot really be it.
887 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Awaiting analysis
This record has not been analysed yet. It is not counted in any total until it has been assessed.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reviews every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.