Debate contribution: International Women’s Day 2024

Debate contribution by Mrs Linda Dillon on 11 March 2024.

MLA: Mrs Linda Dillon
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 4270124

Text

I appreciate the opportunity to support the motion. The motion celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. We must remember that much of what we celebrate was hard won and hard fought for. On many occasions, it was fought for and won by victims and survivors in the North, across this island and across the world. Many of those victims were victims of state and church. Women and girls have suffered unimaginable abuses and repression, often at the hand, as I said, of state and church across this island and across the world. They are not abuses that were suffered in our historical past; those women and girls are here today. They are still fighting for justice. They went through mother-and-baby homes and Magdalene laundries, and they are still waiting for legislation to implement the recommendations of the truth recovery design panel. There can be no further delay. This must be implemented with urgency. Those women and girls have laid bare the most horrendous abuses that they suffered. Those women speaking up has started a conversation that will ensure that all of the stigma and shame of what happened belongs to those who inflicted it, not those who suffered it. They were mothers. Yesterday, we celebrated Mother's Day. Those mothers did not get to celebrate with their children, because their children were ripped from them. Those children did not get to say "Happy Mother's Day", because they never knew that mother on many occasions; they never met them. For those who were lucky enough to meet them, often they were so traumatised that they were never able to build a relationship. Those are the women and girls that we must remember on International Women's Day. I record our acknowledgement and thanks to them. We want to see the progression of the legislation. We must all support the women and girls around us and speak up when something is not right, because people knew what was going on and did not speak up and support those women and girls. The silence of all those who do not speak up for women and girls suffering abuse — whether in their home, their place of education, their workplace or anywhere else — offers protection for and compliance with the abuser.
We keep saying, "No more". "No more" means no more silence. Support women: speak up, and report abuse.
I take the opportunity to acknowledge the women across the world who are suffering as the result of conflict, particularly, as Members have said, the women in Palestine. Today, we think of all the children who, yesterday, did not have their mummies to wish a happy Mother's Day and all the mothers who were not able to hug their children and enjoy being a mother. We think of them today. There is a movement now that says, "Nothing about us without us". That means all women. All women need to be involved in conversations about what this place and every society across our world will look like. We need to ensure that women are heard here and everywhere else. That is our responsibility. It is not our responsibility only to make sure that we, our daughters and sisters have a good life but to ensure that every woman has a decent standard of life; that every woman has equality; that every woman has hope; and that every woman has a chance of just having a good life. That means not suffering abuse, not suffering at the hands of oppressive regimes and not suffering at the hands of genocidal Governments.

597 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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