A documentary on the relationship between the State and Irish women shown on RTÉ on Tuesday night shocked many viewers.
The two-part documentary, one of which was shown last night was created by Anne Roper and gave an account of the difficult relationship between Irish women and the State over the last 100 years, from restricting their ability to work to blocking access to fertility control.
Ireland's first female president, Mary Robinson discusses Ireland's past contraceptive laws.
No Country for Women, Tuesday & Wednesday at 9:35 #NoCountry pic.twitter.com/Dpv6JRiXh0— RTE One (@RTEOne) June 18, 2018
Irish women gained the right to vote a century ago back in 1918, and the documentary questioned why it took so long for one-half of the country's voices to be heard.
No Country for Women is a new landmark television two part documentary series which explores Irish women’s lives since achieving the vote 100 years ago. pic.twitter.com/NKF80qkRwa
— RTE One (@RTEOne) June 16, 2018
The documentary sparked a national conversation online, with famous Irish women such as Maia Dunphy, Louise McSharry and others weighing in on the shocking treatment thousands of women received at the hands of the Catholic church.
Watching #NoCountryForWomen and it really is hard to fathom how all these “fallen” women were locked up as if they all became pregnant by black magic. As one of the contributors just said; “men wanted to have sex before marriage but wanted to marry virgins”.
— Maïa Dunphy (@MaiaDunphy) June 19, 2018
Part one has been so incredibly powerful. Heartbreaking and infuriating. We knew and yet it’s still hard-hitting. This is true public service broadcasting. So proud of @gordonspierin’s work. #NoCountryforWomen
— Louise McSharry (@louisemcsharry) June 19, 2018
This is an absolutely fascinating documentary. #nocountryforwomen
— Louise O' Neill (@oneilllo) June 19, 2018
Journalist Donal O'Keeffe also commended the documentary.
The same creepy, misogynistic crawthumpers who opposed the establishment of the Rape Crisis Centre imposed the Eighth Amendment on us, and opposed contraception, sex education and divorce. #NoCountryForWomen
— Donal O'Keeffe (@Donal_OKeeffe) June 19, 2018
There's only one conclusion an honest person could reach watching #NoCountryForWomen: Ireland really, really hated women.
— Donal O'Keeffe (@Donal_OKeeffe) June 19, 2018
