Ex-Garda chief recalls being sent home for refusing to make sandwiches

The Republic’s first woman Garda commissioner has recalled being sent home as a young officer after refusing to follow an order to make sandwiches.

Nóirín O’Sullivan recounted the incident during an address to an International Association of Women in Police conference, which opened at Dublin Castle on Tuesday. It is being attended by delegates from more than 20 countries.

The Garda said that about 40 per cent of applicants to join the force are now women and 28 per cent of members are female, which it said makes it one of the most diverse police forces in Europe. More than 70 per cent of the Garda's civilian staff are women, it added.

Ms O’Sullivan said the first time she experienced gender bias was as a young patrol garda when she was called back to the station by her sergeant “to make sandwiches. Some VIP was coming, I can’t remember who, and they required tea and sandwiches. Ergo I was making the sandwiches.”

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The former commissioner stepped down five years ago.

She said she refused the request and was sent home by her sergeant. The next day she was brought before her superintendent who she said was “genuinely baffled” that a young female recruit would not do what was asked.

Ms O'Sullivan, who went on to become the United Nations assistant secretary-general for the department of safety and security, said bias still exists towards women in leadership and decision-making roles "including in police and security".

Meanwhile, several events to mark International Women’s Day on Tuesday focused on violence against women – whether in their homes, in public spaces or in war.

At a lunch hosted by homelessness support organisation Muslim Sisters of Eire, Minister of State for Inclusion Josepha Madigan said women would not be equal as long as they continued to “live in fear”.

Safe streets

The streets must be “safe for all”. She wanted to “pay tribute to all the women of Ukraine” and described footage of women and children fleeing the war as “harrowing”.

The Minister said “the commitment we have made to Ukrainian refugees demonstrates the best of human spirit”.

Independent Senator and Traveller activist Eileen Flynn said her thoughts were with the women of Ukraine and “also with Muslim women who are seeking refuge from Afghanistan, Palestine and Yemen. I want to let those women know . . . we are in your corner.”

Ms Flynn said while many spoke about the difficulties of being a woman in politics, “I will tell you it’s tougher for women at the edges of Irish society to even get in the door. It is important not to forget about the Muslim women, the Traveller women, the black women and the women who are disabled. There are none in our [Dáil].

“So I think we, as an Irish society, have a hell of a long way to go when we talk about inclusivity . . . too many women are being left behind.”

Several hundred people attending a rally in Dublin city centre, organised by socialist feminist group Rosa heard calls for “real action on gender-based violence” from Irish and international activists.

Ruth Coppinger of the Socialist Party and former TD, said the day was “overshadowed by the reign of terror being heaped on the women, children and men of Ukraine”.

Saluting a pervious speaker, Carla Kelly from Mexico who had described the #NiUnaMenos campaign against femicide in her country, Ms Coppinger said “change comes from below not from the top. We have to demand full, radical change on gender-based violence”. This must include a tripling of funding to gender-based violence services and their incorporation into the Health Service Executive so they would no longer have to fundraise, said Ms Coppinger.