Importance to Women Activists of the Promise of Equal Citizenship Cannot Be Underestimated, Writes Mary Mcauliffe
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KEYNOTE Left: the 1914 Cumann na mBan manifesto. UCD ARCHIVES Right: Kathleen Clarke, widow of Tom Clarke, in mourning clothes some time after he was executed, with her sons John Daly Clarke, Tom Clarke Jnr and Emmet Clarke. NATIONAL LIBRARY Hannah Sheehy Skeffington (front row, extreme left) takes her seat before Below: The the 1919 Sinn Féin Ard Fheis with, among others, Harry Boland, Éamon de Proclamation of EqualitValera, Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith. IRISH INDEPENDENTy/NLI COLLECTIONwas a the Irish Republic. cornerstone of Proclamation Importance to women activists of the promise of equal citizenship cannot be underestimated, writes Mary McAuliffe N May 1936, after the publication fellow former Senator, feminist campaigner citizenship in the Proclamation of 1916 The importance of this promise of of the draft of a proposed new Jennie Wyse Power, argued that the cannot be underestimated. equality in the Proclamation was such that constitution, which was to be put inclusion of articles which regulated the In its opposition to the 1937 Constitution, it became a touchstone for women activists to referendum for acceptance by rights of women workers and articles 40.1 the Association of Old Cumann na mBan in the succeeding years, especially as many the Irish people in 1937, journalist and 40.2 which placed women firmly in were particularly incensed about the of them felt that the subsequent Irish Free I Gertrude Gaffney, in her Irish the domestic realm were a betrayal of the inclusion of a reference to the “inadequate State viewed and treated women as second Independent column, made a call to arms promises of the 1916 Proclamation and strength of women” (article 45.5.2): where, class citizens. The interesting question is from feminist activists and nationalist principles of equality contained therein. they wondered, were the feelings about how a promise of full and equal citizenship women to defend the women’s rights. Both Senators Clarke and Wyse Power the inadequate strength of women when for women became a cornerstone of the Under the proposed constitution, she had a long history of using the promises they were engaged in “heavy muscular toil Proclamation at a time when women did argued, women ‘are to be no longer citizens of equality in the Proclamation to counter conveying machine guns, heavy explosives not even have the vote? entitled to enjoy equal rights under a the constant chipping away at women’s and rifles”, during the War of Independence From the mid-19th century Irishwomen democratic constitution but laws are to be rights as full and equal citizens by the and Civil War. They felt that there was no had campaigned for the right to vote enacted which take into consideration our governments of the Irish Free State from need for the inclusion of these articles in a and by the middle of the first decade “differences of capacity, physical and moral 1922. As early as 1925 Senator Wyse Power new Constitution as “the Proclamation of of the 20th century that campaign had and of social function”.’ objected to the Juries Act, which sought Easter week 1916 gave to us women equal become more strident and militant. From In particular, many feminists were to prevent women serving on juries, as rights and equal opportunities in simple involvement in the Ladies Land League in angered by predominant discourse in ‘unconstitutional’. She argued that the language that no legislation could change the early 1880s, through ongoing suffrage the draft on: The life of women within Act went against the rights guaranteed or tamper with and on this Declaration of campaigns, as well as support of the the home; allusions to her inadequate to women in the 1922 Constitution, to be Independence did Cumann na mBan base campaign for Home Rule, and involvement strength; and the proposed restrictions on equal citizens; rights first promised in its Constitution”. in cultural nationalism, women had been her working rights. The President of the 1916. The main argument against the engaged with all of the major political National University Women Graduates’ Later, in opposing the 1936 Conditions proposed 1937 Constitution was, for causes in early 20th century Ireland. Association, Professor Mary Hayden, of of Employment Bill, Senator Clarke said most women’s groups, based on promises Groups such as Inghinidhe na hÉireann UCD, called on women not to “let the empty that section 16 (which curtailed the rights of equality contained in the 1916 (founded in 1900 by Maud Gonne), the promises of needless ‘safeguards’ and of women workers) went against the spirit Proclamation of Independence. In the Irish Women’s Franchise League (IWFL, vague declarations of the value of ‘her life of the Proclamation; “that proclamation simple, clear language admired by Cumann founded in 1908), the Irish Women’s within the home” blind our women to the gave to every citizen equal rights and na mBan, the Proclamation claimed Workers Union (1911), and Cumann na fact that, under this proposed Constitution, equal opportunities, and it seems to me “the allegiance of every Irishman and mBan (1914), allowed opportunities for her opportunity of earning, her civil that if you legislate against one section Irishwoman” and guaranteed “religious female nationalists, suffragists and trade status, her whole position as a citizen will of the community… where are the equal and civil liberty, equal rights and equal unionists to contribute to the various depend on the judgment of perhaps a single opportunities provided for in that opportunities to all its citizens”. The Irish political ideologies, debates and events of minister or a single state department as to Proclamation?” Republic envisaged by the signatories the day. As Countess Markievicz said in a her “physical or moral capacity”. Although its meaning and intent had was to have a “permanent National speech to the Students’ National Former Free State Senator Kathleen already been severely limited by legislation Government, representative of the whole Literary Society in 1909, this was time Clarke, widow of Thomas Clarke, one of the in the 1920s and 1930s, the importance to people of Ireland, and elected by the where there was a “chance for our signatories to the Proclamation, and her women activists of the promise of equal suffrage of all her men and women”. women to… Fix [their] mind on the ideal 4 | Irish Independent 1916 Collection Irish Independent I Thursday 4 February 2016 KEYNOTE Front row: Madeleine ffrench Mullen, Miss Foley, Dr Kathleen Lynn. Second row: Rose McNamara, Kathleen Kenny, MJ Walsh, Mrs Lawless, Jenny Milner, Eileen Walsh, K Kennedy, May Byrne, Eileen Cooney, Annie Cooney. Third row: M Moore; K Lane; Sara Kealy, Gertie Colley, Mary O’Hanrahan, Amee Wisely, Bridget Murtagh, Cilla Quigley, Julia Grenan, Stasia Twomey, B Walsh. Fourth row: Nora Thornton, Rose Mullally, Sheila O’Hanlon, Maria Quigley, Margaret O’Flaherty, Josie McGowan, Eileen Cooney, Josie O’Keeffe. Fifth row: Lucy Smith, Nora Foley, Pauline Morecombe, D Sullivan, M Elliott, Mary Sullivan, Tilley Simpson, Catherine Treston. Sixth row: M Kelly, Brigid Brady, Jeannie Shanahan, Kathleen Barrett, Rosie Hackett, Margaret Ryan, Brigid Davis, Chris Caffrey, Patricia Hoey. Standing (left side): A Tobin, Aoife Taaffe, Marcella Cosgrave, Kathleen Murphy, Bridget Foley. Standing (right side): May Kelly, Maire Nic Shuibhlaigh, Lily O’Brennan, Elizabeth O’Farrell, Nora O’Daly, Mary Murray. (There was more than one photo taken on this occasion, which has contributed to some discrepancies in lists of names. This list is taken from Sinead McCoole’s No Ordinary Women, 2003). KILMAINHAM GAOL MUSEUM COLLECTION of Ireland free, with her women enjoying and was closely associated with many women take up their proper position in the Dáil said that “Irish women were given the full rights of citizenship in their own feminist women, such as Helena Molony, life of the nation”. equal citizenship, equal rights and equal nation…” Kathleen Lynn and Countess Markievicz The promise of equal citizenship for opportunities”, but subsequent retrograde The actions of these advanced among others. women also formed part of the 1922 legislation and the 1937 Constitution had nationalist and feminist women in Two others, Thomas MacDonagh Constitution which stated that “every rendered the promises of equality in the campaigning for the citizenship rights of was married to, and Joseph Plunkett person without distinction of sex... [shall] 1916 Proclamation an “empty formulae” women is vital in our understanding of was in a relationship with, women who enjoy the privileges and be subject to the and “meaningless”. the egalitarian ideals of the Proclamation, were members of both the separatist obligations of such citizenship”. However, Perhaps, as many of the feminist and but equally vital are the alliances and and feminist Inghinidhe na hÉireann the reality of women’s participation in nationalist women later felt, if some or networks which existed between these and the militant suffrage IWFL (Muriel the political and public life of the Irish any of the signatories had survived, things women and their male nationalist and and Grace Gifford respectively). Both Free State was soon undermined by the would have been different. As late as in socialist comrades, especially the alliances MacDonagh and Plunkett were fully legislative, cultural and social ideals of 1970, Rosie Hackett, a member of the Irish with those of the seven signatories who supportive of the campaigns for women’s ‘respectability and domesticity’ for women. Citizen Army, the Irish Women Workers’ were supportive of women’s rights. rights. The inclusion of gender equality in Women who had participated in the fight Union and a trade union activist, who The feminist campaigner and co- the Proclamation therefore is a reflection for Irish freedom and who had rejoiced fought at St Stephen’s Green/Royal College founder of the IWFL, Hanna Sheehy of the importance and influence of the in the promises of the Proclamation were of Surgeons, remarked that if only “Mr Skeffington, recalled that James Connolly campaigns for women’s rights on the soon disheartened.