The last 25 years have seen a transformation in Irish women's perception of their citizenship, according to the author of a new study of women and politics in Ireland.
"Women are shown as proactive in their quest for answers to serious wrongs visited upon them by careless public officials and insensitive politicians," writes Dr Yvonne Galligan, of Trinity College Dublin, giving as one example the efforts of Positive Action to bring out the truth behind the hepatitis C contaminated blood products.
Her book, Women and Politics in Contemporary Ireland, was introduced by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, yesterday.
Dr Galligan also highlights the position of women as victims of politicians' failure to legislate on difficult issues, leaving it to the courts to attempt to resolve them, as in the X and C abortion cases.