President Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to the "extraordinary and everyday contribution, vitality, and courage" of Irish women this International Women's Day.
In a message marking the day, President Higgins said that when the contribution of women is not present in any aspect of society, "society is lessened and we all lose".
President Higgins said that while Covid-19 has brought "unprecedented" challenges to citizens around the world, it is women who are "carrying the greater share of its economic and social consequences".
"In countries across the globe, women are carrying that heavy burden, so often without recognition or rights, not only in care and healthcare, but also in many of the industries, including hospitality, retail and food service, which are suffering most under Covid-19," he said.
The president also noted that what has so far been achieved in terms of equality "has not fallen from the sky", adding that it has required "courage in several generations".
"That is still the challenge," he said.
President Higgins said that making a difference is "never easy", adding that it takes "immense courage to stand out, to refuse to accept cultural or behavioural dimensions of thinking, and to stand up to, and work to put an end to, authoritarian and paternalistic controls that others may have been conditioned to accept as normal."
He added: "We are so indebted, then, to all those who not only fight on behalf of those who are marginalised or oppressed, but who join in the fight with them, walking alongside them on a shared journey towards parity and equal opportunity."
President Higgins said he wanted to convey a simple message, that men "must walk in solidarity with women and girls around the world if women's rights are to be fully achieved".
His statement came ahead of an event in which he invited several women to come together in song, poetry and reflection under the heading of 'Going forward with Courage Together".
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