Madam, - Like many other women, I have been sent an invitation from the Minister of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, to a reception to celebrate International Women's Day. I wonder how many of the other women feel, as I do, that this is a travesty, a mockery and a violation of what ought to be a day of solidarity with women's worldwide struggle for human rights and dignity, for security from violence (state, communal, criminal or domestic), for safety from racial and cultural discrimination, for freedom from avoidable disease, as well as for recognition of women's value as the prime carers of society?
And this is the Minister who only a week or two ago ordered mass deportations of women, children and men, in the small hours and dark secrecy, rubbishing the basic premise of the day.
Does he really believe that we will consider his hospitality (in the Italian Room of the Department of the Taoiseach) as an honour, rather than an exercise of cynical manipulation with an eye to the European and local elections? At the same time, we are told by the Taoiseach himself that a proposed visit by George W Bush will be an honour for the whole country, even though many of us regard the US President as a war criminal. Cynical manipulation again - this time with an eye to the Irish-American vote in the presidential election. Bush manipulates our Government: our Government manipulates us.
I shall not be at the reception. I hope other women will also refuse.
There is an alternative: women will be gathering on that day at the Department of Health and Children to protest against the double standard of this Government's cuts in the health service combined with its support for Bush's illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq and the growth of the armament industry in Ireland. - Yours, etc.,
MARGARETTA D'ARCY,
(member of Aosdána),
St Bridget's Place Lower,
Galway.