Sir, – Susan McKay (“More needed to tackle women’s Dáil under-representation”, Opinion, December 16th), bemoans the 35 per cent cut in funding for the National Women’s Council of Ireland. This will disempower the organisations which might speak out against the “difficult decisions” confronting the Taoiseach, she says. She goes on to say that “gender equality isn’t just good for women – it is good for society and for the economy”.
Maybe Ms McKay would let us know whether she thinks gender equality would be good for men too, and if so, whether equal funding should be allocated for a National Men’s Council of Ireland? Surely its non-existence is an example of the very gender inequality she so trenchantly decries?
I write in a context where young men are taking their own lives in increasing numbers, and where the children of unmarried parents have no automatic right to be cared for by both of their parents.
The socially disempowered in Irish society now are males, not females. – Yours, etc,