Men in

Women in Exile and Emigration Dublin There was mol moch room for women in 19th centr Lreland — 73%. of all those emigrating to the United States after the fuming were women who lefi for economic reasons: shortages of land, education and jebu. Now in the 20th century Irish people are still being forced to leave doe to lock of opportunity. This continuing exile was the base theme of the sbove-named workshop held in Dablin on January 2th, It was organised by the Women's Studies Forum of University College Dublin — on sulemoroous collective of feminist academics .

WOMENS STUDIES FORUM Intriclacing the werkshop on tehiall of the. caligetive Podine Jackson said they wished to ema: mine women's space and place in society but alse ta posh forrard the frontiers of what is comidered ‘women's issues’. They ore cotivineed that whal they have to say about emen's forced exile has relevance for society asa whole.

The Women's Studies Form wish their research to be made as public as possible and useful to society, They coneadder that uniwersities are chose, elitket imatiryons whieh thogld reach owt ie the community so that farther education may be acorssible ty all, ith CENTURY AMERICA Mary init Ww visa has abl Bubtished Erin's Daughters: in America: trish immigrant Women in the Vath Century. She described how the majority of migrants were from the poorer peasantry; bow they opted mainly for the wipopular but well paid domestic service and so were able to send large aminis of money hone.

In this field they had tm confront mary racist and middle class prejudives, Irish servant girs were considered ‘unstable because they moved jobs.o lot, refusing to be cxploited! The history of domestic service teclf is hardly recorded duc to the middle class bias of most US historians, TRADE UNION ORGANISERS This determined assertion of rights Wasa gcoeral feature of the Irish labour force as a whole in America, “Mo other group organised so rapidly or se intensely and in fect the dewéepment of Wade union organisation among women in the second half of the ISth century, synchronised with ihe activities of -[nish women. They were organised in cvery area of work: factoties, sewing, teaching ancl norsing. Here again they had te canfront middle-class prejudice that trade union work was. ‘disreputable’ and that ‘adles' didn't discuss monev!

### BRITAIN

The second speaker was Mary Lennon of “Grainne Mhael’, a collective of Irish women living jin Lonmion. With funding from the Greaiér- London Council, which hat taken a strong stand on antiractsm, they are reseutchiog the lives of Irish women emigrants ta Britain in. the |e and 195s.

nest year, Mary-stated that black people in Britain had bed the way in asserting their identity and in challenging eolonial attinodes pumped oul by authority and the media. Irish pesple too experienced ‘culture shock’ and prob. lems of identity in a society which distorts the history af those it has ruled in the past. The British govcroment's cimGinuing efforts to bold onto the siz counties using Propaganda ag a wenpon gives the ancient prejudiocs a new lease om life!

CONTINUING EMIGRATION in the discussion fram the floor the point-was made that the polifics of successive Free State governments bad created an econeni and sicial climate parmicularly hostile towomen — denying thei work ond basic righis. The prcsent Eovermment denies ihat emigration is ogdin oan the increase with young women form inggamed ote the majority group, relancd in 1985, stil in the grip of conservalism and with BRIO AMO: unecmploved youth is still nmol a country fit for its poopie to live im.

The forum went some way to uncovering the active struggle of irish workers “hidden from: history’ by rucial, class and anti-feminist bigotry. lt underlined the need to learn the bessons. of ther history and for a comcerted fightback against a ruling class which is paring the way towards the emigrant ship for thowkaods of [righ people today, CAITLIN NI COMMAIL ‘Erin's Daughters in Amerncu: Irish Lumigrant Women in the Kineteenth Century.” by Hasia R. Diner. Published by The John. Hopkins University Press. Baltimore and Londen,