[ad_1]
TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day, a day established in 1911 to celebrate women’s achievements, make their voices heard, fight generational injustice, and fight for gender equality both in the workplace and at home.
It also aims to highlight issues of gender parity and equality. The IWD also highlights many of the inspiring women around the world who, in the face of adversity and discrimination, have challenged the status quo.
This year’s theme for the day is ‘choose to challenge’: people are being asked to challenge the status quo and question the current inequalities women face.
Fortunately, we have seen a great advance in the socio-economic rights of women over the past century; in Ireland, women of legal age have universal suffrage, property rights and greater employment opportunities.
Women can now be presidents, CEOs, astronauts, and even vice-presidents of the United States of America. This would have been unthinkable 100 years ago.
Little steps to big leaps
However, there is still great inequality between the genders. These inequalities were largely highlighted by the pandemic and the problems women faced before became all too apparent during the pandemic and the resulting lockdown.
Issues such as domestic abuse, income equality, unemployment, and the burden of childcare typically affect women more negatively than men. A recent Women’s Aid survey revealed that one in five women experiences abuse in intimate relationships at the hands of their partner, compared to one in seven men (Men’s Aid).
Abuse and domestic violence can have long-lasting effects on the physical and mental health of the victim and can even cause more people to experience poverty and homelessness.
Before confinement, women affected by this would have a respite from the abuse by having the option to leave the house, but this is no longer the case.
My fellow IACP members have seen the effects of this, women are unlikely to benefit from counseling over the phone or online if they feel that their partner has the option of eavesdropping on the session.
This reluctance is not unique to women in volatile domestic situations; women who are parents may find it difficult to allow themselves to enter the reflective mental space that therapy requires when they are concerned about the possibility of their child breaking the session.
Women at home during Covid
Historically, women are viewed as caregivers, and in fact, women generally dominate the caregiving professions, including counseling and psychotherapy, and the lockdown has only added to their already full burdens.
A recent survey by the National Council of Women of Ireland revealed that 85% of women found their caregiving responsibilities increased since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Many women take full shifts in front-line caregiver roles and must return home to care for their children, and the lack of child care provided by daycare centers and schools has increased the pressure on these women.
This puts women at risk for an increased risk of exhaustion, both physically and mentally. I am asking any woman who reads this and finds herself in this situation to consider seeing a therapist.
If you are a front-line healthcare worker, more than 300 of my colleagues are offering volunteer sessions, a fact of which I am very proud. The IACP Public Mental Health in the middle of the Covid-19 survey conducted by B&A also revealed that women were more affected by mental health problems than their male counterparts.
Around 30% of respondents often felt stressed compared to 21%, 32% often felt anxious compared to 21%, and 18% often felt lonely / isolated, compared to 14% . The CSO found similar findings in its April 2020 survey.
We have been seeing this in our practices for the past year, women are finding confinement increasingly difficult. They are isolated from their physical social support structures and from their families, and while video conferencing and phone calls are vital to staying connected, they do not have the same positive effect on our mental health as face-to-face interaction.
Looking forward
So this year at DIM, I would like you to consider all the ways that women’s rights have evolved over the past century, but conversely, I would also like you to keep in mind the myriad of challenges that affect us. .
Choose to challenge the status quo! Question how society treats women and do your best to be a positive ally for change. You can even start small and at home.
If a neighbor of yours needs help, you can offer it (from a safe distance, of course). If you are in a domestic partnership with a woman, talk to her and ask if there is anything you can do to ease your workload.
If you are a woman and need help, consider doing the same. Partnerships are a two-way street, and as much as we would love the case, our partners are not mind readers.
No news is bad news
Support the magazine
You contributions help us continue to deliver the stories that are important to you
Support us now
If you’re dealing with something you think you need help with, contact your GP or visit iacp.ie to find over 2,500 of my colleagues nationwide.
IACP-accredited counselors and psychotherapists offer their clients the opportunity to speak their minds without fear of judgment, recrimination or retaliation and create a safe space for clients to explore their own minds.
Bernie Hackett is an accredited member and president of the Irish Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy (IACP).
***
Our colleagues at Noteworthy want to investigate the steps being taken to address a pandemic-induced mental health crisis in Ireland. You can help finance them here.
[ad_2]