Megan Fearon announced as new Sinn Fein spokesperson for women | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Megan Fearon announced as new Sinn Fein spokesperson for women

Sinn Féin MLA Megan Fearon has been appointed Sinn Féin spokesperson for women.

Speaking about the new role Fearon stated, “I am delighted to be appointed as the new Sinn Féin spokesperson on women issues and I am eager to bring forward the fight for women’s rights and gender equality.

“While there has been much progress over recent years there are still many issues to be resolved, namely the priority of providing equal pay and employment opportunities for women.

“Violence against women, sex crimes and harassment remain alarming issues that are perpetuated by societal attitudes and damaging aspects of popular culture where women are consistently objectified,” insisted Fearon.

“In Irish political life women are widely underrepresented; 52% of the population of Ireland are female, however women hold only 18% of positions in elected institutions on the island. This is compounded by additional under-representation in policing, judicial and financial institutions and other crucial public positions.

“To achieve gender equality in public life we must tackle these huge disparities. The right of a woman to maternity protection and child-care, including mandated child-care facilities and maternity leave, and the right to reproductive choice and family planning is also a major issue if women can participate in education and employment equitably.

“We must challenge the traditionally assigned roles of women and men in the household and in society at large, and eliminate gender prejudices and bias which define the public realm as a man’s world and the home as a woman’s.

Fearon added, “Only by securing common responsibilities in social life and equal rights in education and employment will gender equality be achieved.”

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Posted by on Oct 22 2013. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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