Showing 46791 results

Material in this file relates to Women's Aid, an organisation whose aim was to provide advice, support and accommodation for women and children who were being physically, emotionally or sexually abused in their own home.

It includes release of speech by Mary Robinson at launch of awareness campaign, 06/06/1990, including campaign leaflet, correspondence inviting her to launch, and handwritten notes used for speech, 14-10/06/1990; Women's Aid folder containing material relating to UN World Conference on Human Rights Vienna 15 June 1993, "Global Tribunal on Violations of Women's Human Rights".

In 1973 a group of feminists, chaired by Hilda Tweedy of the Irish Housewives Association, set up the Council for the Status of Women (CSW), with the goal of gaining equality for women. It was an umbrella body for women's groups. During the 1990s the council's activities included supporting projects funded by the European Social Fund, and running Women and Leadership Programmes and forums. In 1995, following a strategic review, it changed its name to the National Women's Council of Ireland.

This file consists of correspondence, submissions and reports relating to the work of the CSW. Material includes folder labelled "Sexual Harassment" consisting of press release from CSW calling for coordinated action on European Community resolution on Sexual Harassment (05/07/1990), flyer and press release regarding Win For Change's events on Women's Day 08/03/1990 [group seeking greater justice, equality and unbiased media coverage], and research material regarding sexual harassment in Employment and various approaches to employment equality and legalisation against harassment (19[8?]-199[?]); press release announcing launch of initiative on women and sport, by CSW Chairwoman Frances Fitzgerald, with CSW's 1989 Annual report, 02/08/1990; report "Don't Let Life Be A Drag" from one day CSW seminar on young women and smoking, 199[1?]; submission from WIG [Women in Golf] to Commission on the Status of Women, 03/1991; submission to the Commission on the Status of Women by the CSW, March 1991 with cover letter from Frances Fitzgerald, to MR, and reply from Ann Lane on her behalf, 22-30/04/1991; report "Leadership & Women from Participation to Partnership The Challenge of the 1990s" Council for the Status of Women, with cover letter from Frances Fitzgerald to MR, and reply from Ann Lane on her behalf, 01-07/10/1991; copy of submission to 2nd Commission on the Status of Women by Dublin Lesbian Line Collective (Eileen, Ger, Paula, Suzanne, Eemer, Teresa, Jenny - note no last names and some fake names), March 1991, with cover letter to President Robinson from Geraldine Moane thanking her for inviting group of lesbians and gay men to Áras an Uachtaráin previous Sunday, and reply from Ann Lane on her behalf, 17-22/12/1992; submission to 2nd Commission from ATGWU [Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union] with cover letter from Avila Kilmurray, Regional Women's Organiser to President Robinson, and from Ann Lane on her behalf, 25/09-01/10/1991; photocopy of submission to 2nd Commission from The Catholic Women's Federation, 199[1?]; handwritten and typed notes on Status of Women report (no report in folder), 199[1/2?].

Correspondence, newsletters, journals, flyers, cuttings and other material relating to the WPA [Women's Political Association] including January newsletter 1990; circular regarding first meeting of 1990, March 1990; material relating to WPA meeting 09/05/1990 celebrating Schuman Day including invite to Mary Robinson (MR) to address meeting from Frances Gardiner, 28/04/1990, notes, drafts and summary of MR's address "Local Democracy in the Context of European Unity" along with several cuttings possibly used for research (04-26/04/1990), copy of address given by Christoffer Bertelsen, Counsellor, Royal Danish Embassy at same event, with cover letter from him to MR and reply from Ann Lane on her behalf, 08-14/06/1990; poster for WPA talk "Woman Priests - the Future Church?" with guest speakers Rev Elizabeth Franz (Lutheran priest) and Carol Walsh (Methodist minister), 27/06/1990; 2 copies of WPA Annual Journal 1990 with official press photograph of President MR on cover; Annual Journal, Dublin Branch 1991; WPA newsletter January 1992; poster for Public Meeting "Do We Need A Women's Political Party?", 22/01/1992; letter from Peg [?] to Bride Rosney, which referenced the 1992 journal for which MR made Presidential contribution, 09/11/1992.

Photocopy of article "Equality, Development and Peace: Needs for the Advancement of Women", Juliette C. McLennan, United States Department of State Bureau of Public Affairs, March 1990; Equality News, EEA [Employment Equality Agency] newsletter 10/1990; report "Equality of Opportunity in the Civil Service 1990", 4th annual report on the implementation of the Equal Opportunity Policy and Guidelines for the Civil Service; reprint order form for Women's Studies International Forum Vol 11 No 2 with Mary Robinson (MR) listed as First Named Author, with cover slip from Ailbhe [Smyth], Department of French, University College Dublin, thanking her for her contribution to the journal, 25/05/199[?]; folder "Charter 88" consisting of flyers, brochures and other material related to the organisation seeking constitutional change in the UK and in Europe, and includes pictorial guide to the Constitutional convention "Towards a Written Constitution", 01-03/11/1991, and paper by Elizabeth Meehan, Queen's University, Belfast for Charter 88 "Women's Rights in Citizens' Europe", 01/11/1991-8/11/1992; CPSU [Civil and Public Service Union] folder, "Working for Equality", of pamphlets on various workers' rights 199[?]; report "The Ruhama Women's Project" 2nd annual report 1991 with cover letter from Sr Jennifer McAleer to President MR and reply from Ann Lane on her behalf, 08-23/03/1992.

Newspaper cuttings related to women, equality and the law, 10/10/1977-25/06/1990.

Material in this subsubseries relates to Mary Robinson (MR)'s work in the area of child welfare including legislation and is arranged across 15 files, for the most part in chronological order. It includes material relating to "Child First", the organisation, formed in 10/05/1974, concerned with the welfare of children in adoption, and with proposed amendments to the Adoption Bill 1974 (P143/1/3/3/1); material relating to various Adoption Bills in Ireland and Northern Ireland including in relation to the Adoption Bill MR puts before Seanad Éireann [upper house of Irish parliament, Senate] in 1971 which she withdraws in favour of a Government promise to introduce a bill before Christmas 1972, and the Adoption Bill 1974 (P143/1/3/3/2); material relating to 6th Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1978, a private members bill put forward by the Labour party (P143/1/3/3/3); material relating to Maintenance Orders Bill (P143/1/3/3/4); correspondence and articles relating to changes in Adoption Law (P143/1/3/3/5-8); material relating to the Working Group on Child Abuse, convened by the ICCL [Irish Council for Civil Liberties] of which MR was a member and Chair of sub-committee examining legal aspects (P143/1/3/3/9-11); material relating to the Sanctuary Trust, a Board of Trustees founded by Clodagh Corcoran, Chairwoman of the Working Group on Child Abuse, in December 1985 on which MR was a Trustee (P143/1/3/3/12); articles, reports and other research material (P143/1/3/3/13); material relating to ISPCC [Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children] (P143/1/3/3/14) and newspaper cuttings (P143/1/3/3/15).

Folder labelled "Children First" consists of correspondence, newsletters, meeting agendas and other material related to the organisation, formed in 10/05/1974, concerned with the welfare of children in adoption, and with proposed amendments to the Adoption Bill 1974. It includes correspondence between Vera Stokes, PRO [Public Relations Officer] Children First, and Minister for Justice, [Mr Cooney], 07/06/1974; correspondence between R Charles Mollan, member of Children First, and Mary Robinson (MR), introducing the organisation, its aims and recommendations, and requesting informal meeting, 08/06/1974 and further correspondence 21/06/1974; proposed constitution for Children First, 197[4?]; memorandum sent to every senator by Children First, [06/1974]; letter of thanks from Vera Stokes to MR, following her meeting with the Committee of Children First, 06/1974; correspondence between Nan Avery, Mary Heffernan, Children First, and MR including various case studies outlining examples of issues with adoption law*, 26/06-19/07/1974; Children First 1st progress report 05-11/1974; submission from Children First to Task Force on Child Care Services, with cover letter to Senator MR from Anne Larkin, Secretary, Children First, 31/01/1975 which also mentions sudden death of Vera Stokes in previous October; 2nd progress report 12/1974-05/1975; Agenda for AGM, 28/05/1975 and 17/04/1978; Children First newsletters Winter 1975-6, Summer 1976, Autumn 1976, Winter 1976-7, Special issue on Proceedings of the Children First Conference on Substitute Parenting, Spring 1977 with supplement, Summer 1977, Autumn 1977, Winter 1977-8, Summer & Autumn 1978, Spring 1979 with supplement, Summer & Autumn 1979, Winter 1978-9 and Winter 1979-80; flyers for symposium "Working Together for our Sick and Handicapped Children", 18/11/1976, Children First seminar "From Birth to Three the Most Vulnerable Years", 03,04/11/1978, and flyer for Bernardo’s Adoption Advice Service, 197[?].

*Non anonymised case studies have been removed to closed file.

Folder labelled "Acts": material related to and including Adoption Bills for Ireland, and Northern Ireland, and amendments including copy of Adoption Bill 1971 (proof); 4 copies of Adoption Bill, 1974, as introduced; copy of Adoption Bill, 1974, as amended in Committee; copy of Adoption Bill, 1976 as initiated; Minister's Speech [Minister for Justice, Mr Cooney?], at Second Stage of Adoption Bill, 1974, in Seanad Éireann (SÉ) [upper house of Irish parliament, Senate]; parliamentary debates, SÉ, official report, 09/07/1974 which includes "Adoption Bill, 1974: Second Stage (resumed)", in which Mary Robinson (MR) refers to case histories shared with her by Children First, (see P143/1/3/4/1); research material including typed memorandum by UK Ministry of Home Affairs for the guidance of registered adoption services in relation to Adoption of Children Act (N.I.) [Northern Ireland], 1950, photocopies of Adoption Act (Northern Ireland), 1967 and 1969, Draft Practice Memorandum Section 3 Adoption Act, 1974, report "Adoption in Ireland", by Vivienne Darling, Social Studies Department, Trinity College Dublin (MR referenced this in SÉ), 1974 and report from Irish Adoption Workers conference, Limerick, "Aspects Of Adoption - Some Basic Principals", Limerick Conference 1974; handwritten notes; questions to Senator MR in relation to Adoption Bill, n.d.; carbon copy of letter sent to Owen Mulholland, solicitor, thanking him for allowing MR look at his file on adoption and submissions from representatives of adoption societies, in a briefing ahead of considering the Government's Bill in SÉ, 16/07/1974; typed summary of speech by Fr O'Mahoney at Cork Speakers Club, October 197[?], on subject "Some aspects of adoption" at which MR and Sr Paul (St Annes Adoption Society) also attended; typed notes on comparative legalisation on adoption in Northern Ireland, n.d. [197?]; text of two lectures "The Status of Children under the adoption Acts 1952-1964" and "recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Divorce Decrees", Senator MR, Reid Professor of Constitutional and Criminal Law, Trinity College Dublin, delivered at seminar in Waterford, of The Society of Young solicitors, 4/11/1972; lecture "A New Children act", Rev James Good, Director, UCC, Education Centre, Limerick, 03/05/1972; address of Minister for Justice, Mr Patrick Cooney, TD [Teachta Dála, member of Dáil Éireann, lower house of Irish parliament] and the Irish Adoption Workers' conference, Limerick, 25/04/1974 which was quoted by MR in SÉ.

Material in this file, labelled "6th Amendment of the Constitution Bill 1978", relates to a Private Members Bill, put forward by the Labour party "in an attempt to place beyond any doubt the constitutional validity of… (a) Adoption orders and other decisions made by the Adoption Board...(b) the provisions of the 1974 and 1976 Adoption Acts which place the child's welfare first in cases of custody disputes", and includes background document for Labour Party press conference given by Frank Cluskey, TD [Teachta Dála, member of Dáil Éireann, lower house of Irish parliament], Leader of Labour Party, 22/06/1978; extract of address/article by Mary Robinson "Adoption: A Missed Opportunity" on procedure to amend constitution, 197[8?]; copies of Sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1978 as initiated; speech by Minister for Justice at 2nd stage of 6th Amendment of the Constitution (Adoption) Bill [Government's own Bill subsequently?]; handwritten note "the Dept of Justice thinking on the adoption of legitimate children today is on a par with the Dept of Justice thinking on the adoption of illegitimate children 40 years ago", n.d., writer unknown; copy of Sixth Amendment of the Constitution (Adoption) Bill, 1978 as initiated; order paper for Seanad Éireann [upper house of Irish parliament, Senate], 07/03/1979, including hearing of Bill.

Folder labelled "Maintenance Orders Bill" consisting of correspondence and bills including copy of Maintenance Orders Bill, as introduced; copy of Maintenance Orders Bill, as amended in committee; copy of Maintenance Orders Bill, as passed by Dáil Éireann [lower house of Irish parliament]; copy of Maintenance Orders Bill, Committee Amendments, and orders of the day, Seanad Éireann (SÉ) [upper house of Irish parliament, Senate] 03/07/1974; paper by Dermot Hewson, Huggard, Lambe and Co solicitors, on importance of foreign maintenance orders, with cover letter to Mary Robinson 17/06/1974 and reply 20/06/1974; handwritten notes on the Bill; speech by Minister for Justice on the Bill at Second Stage (SÉ ), with notation 197[4?]. See also P143/1/3/4/1.