My name is Liz McHugh, and I’m a senior staff writer with Her.ie. Like most of you sitting here today, I believe in equality. I’m a feminist. I have this idealism instilled in me that I deserve to earn a fair wage, the same as any man.
I’m educated and informed and I have an interest in my human rights.
I also believe I’m entitled to equal, safe, non-judgemental healthcare.
For anyone who knows me, they’ll know I have a lot of opinions, but that’s not what we’re here for.
I’m here to talk about why the youth vote is important. Why we should be encouraging everyone we know to go out and vote next Friday.
For me, as a woman, I think it’s a turning point. I think the cost of being a woman and being under-represented in politics runs too high.
Let me explain what I mean…
So let’s just talk about the cost of being a woman in Ireland.
Despite the Employment Equality Act established in 1998, there’s a current gender pay gap of 13.9% in Ireland.
Breaking that down, it means you earn 86 cent for every euro earned by a man.
Or that a man is paid for 365 days a year, while as a woman in the same field, chances are you could be earning for just 314 days.
And that’s just the start.
To be a woman, means we have a uterus and menstruate. Maybe that sounds obvious, but here’s a breakdown of the annual cost of owning a vagina in Ireland.
To buy tampons and sanitary towels for your monthly period, you will spend €94.48 on feminine hygiene products.
To buy your monthly supply of pain relief, that’ll set you back another €17.88 for the year, while being the biggest user of toilet paper, women use an average of nine toilet rolls per month (which adds another €71.88 to the bill).
On average, Irish women experience thrush at least once a year. Over the counter treatment starts at €15.00.
Then you have the cost of contraception.
To avail of the contraceptive pill (which is still the most common form of contraception used by Irish women), you will need two doctor’s appointments per/year (costing an average of €120 per person), followed by the pill prescription, which at €10 per month is another €120 again.
So far, the cost of being a woman in Ireland is €424.32
That’s before the unplanned elements of life can take over.
Think you’re pregnant? A pregnancy test pack starts at €10.99, while those who opt for emergency contraception will pay €33 to a pharmacist.
If you think it’s unfair that being a woman means you can expect to earn less money, and be down anything from €425 to €470 per year for being a woman, then prepare to be really, really angry.
For women facing an unplanned pregnancy that opt for an abortion, the financial pressures are about to start mounting.
Last-minute return flights on a budget airline will cost you €150, while an abortion for a pregnancy up to 14 weeks will set you back €980. If the pregnancy is in its later stages, a termination in the period from 14 – 24 weeks will cost an estimated €2,410.
Women who then seek to speak to an abortion aftercare counsellor can arrange an appointment through Cura. But due to limited locations nationwide, you may opt to see a private counsellor – starting at an average cost of €75 per session.
So if you face an unplanned pregnancy this year, and seek to have a termination, you can expect to pay anywhere between €1,130 and €2,400… before you add in mental health costs.
Remember this is all on top of your vagina being taxed €424.32 for living in Ireland.
I’m aware there’s a lot of numbers flying around so I’m going to ask you to forget the drilled down numbers and just focus on what I’m about to tell you.
With issues like payment equality, the cost of healthcare and the upcoming referendum to Repeal the 8th, guess how many female TDs stood in government in the Dáil before its dissolution earlier this month.
26.
26 out of 166 possible seats, or 16% of the Dáil.
That means a majority of 140 men were direct decision-makers for decisions that affect the earning capabilities, healthcare and civil rights of 50% of the Irish population.
In November, Irish comedian Grainne Maguire decided that if the government want to have the right to dictate her female health, then she was going to let them know regular updates. Intimate regular updates.
She started tweeted Enda Kenny about her period. So did a group of Irish women.
They spoke about pain, discomfort, their flow – but didn’t get a response.
Maybe it made the Taoiseach uncomfortable. Maybe he didn’t have an opinion on women’s healthcare. Maybe, as women we deserve not to be silenced.
In May 2015, the Marriage Referendum was passed, meaning same-sex couples could legally be married in Ireland.
Nearly 66,000 new voters registered to have their voice heard, and the campaign resulted in a sweeping ‘Yes’ vote. Now that we have a mobilised movement, why don’t we use it to elect a more balanced, more-equal government?
This year has been a celebration of equality.
From Panti Bliss taking her title as the Queen of Ireland, to the legalisation of same-sex marriage – equality and understanding is something we’re embracing as a nation.
The thing is, whether you support Repeal the 8th or not, without exercising your right to vote – other people are going to make up your mind for you.
Every referendum, every law, every time you want to complain about hospital waiting lists… if you don’t exercise your right to vote, chances are you could be waiting another five years for your chance to speak up.
For the first time, major parties have to select 30 per cent of female candidates or face a financial penalty. Maybe some women were added to the ballot for financial compensation, but maybe we need to see a change in law before we see a change in representation?
A gender quota might give the option of more female candidates, but it’s up to each voter to line your views and beliefs by putting your best foot forward. By walking into a polling station and electing more female candidates.
A 50:50 gender balance isn’t likely to be elected to Dáil this time around, but let’s just see the difference if it was…
The National Democratic Institute started looking at the rewarding effects of having a gender balanced government. There’s a list of statistics I could trail off here, but I think the two that stand out most are two of the greatest areas of concern to the Irish public.
How honest is our government and what can we expect from our standard in living?
In studies looking at governments worldwide, it was proven that when a nation supported equal female representation, they:
Were the candidates that were particularly effective in promoting honest government. Countries where women are supported as leaders and at the ballot box have a correspondingly low level of corruption.
And that:
Women are strongly linked to positive developments in education, infrastructure and health standards at the local level. Where rates of gender development and empowerment are higher, human rates of development and standards of living are also higher.
If you graduated post 2009, you’re probably tired of hearing about recession.
Of internships and Jobbridge schemes that promote never-ending training without pay. If we’re all competing for a spot in the job market, it then stings to know a man is more likely to continue to earn more than you once you secure your placement, that it’s likely a man who will be your CEO, and a man who continue to pass the laws and petition change that affect your everyday life.
From the cost of your bus fare, to the price of your tampons in the supermarket aisle.
So how do I want to be represented in Irish politics?
I want to know that there are politicians fighting for issues that directly affect them – with a passion that’s experienced. Not empathy for a cause.
That there’s a politician that follows the same routine as me, and is affected like I am by healthcare changes, by gender pay. That recognises that my voice, and half that of the population, deserves to be considered and heard.
