International Women's Day | Being drunk should not mitigate violent behaviour when before the courts, says Longford's Garda Emma Kiernan #IWD2022 #BreakTheBias

An Garda Síochána has one of the highest levels of female police officers in Europe with the majority of Garda staff now women and 30% of Garda officers being women. There are also a considerable number of women excelling in senior positions.

“In what was once considered a male profession, An Garda Síochána are blazing a trail in terms of breaking gender bias, leveling the playing field with our make colleagues when it comes to equal rights,” said Garda Emma Kiernan.

“An Garda Síochána are encouraging women, people from diverse communities and minority groups to join the organisation. This momentous step forward will undoubtedly benefit the organisation and society is rapidly reflecting the communities we serve.”

As a Community Garda, Emma spends her time finding ways to help and assist our local society - something which is reflected in the projects she’s been working on.

“Last Christmas, Longford and Granard Gardaí together with Longford Public Participation Network introduced Operation Blue Santa, which was a fundraising initiative to raise money for not for profit organisations and charities across Co Longford,” she explained.

A concert by the Garda Band and a children’s book entitled Operation Blue Santa raised over €12,000 for a number of charities that serve the local community.

Violence against women is something that Emma, as a local Garda has seen up close. And, while the the tragic murder of teacher, Ashling Murphy, in January, has seen an outpour of anger in our society, more needs to be done at a judicial level to tackle the issue of violence against women.

“Violence has not stopped and it won’t. Every weekend in towns across the country, there are random assaults on females and males,” said Emma. “The punishment is always quite minor for those assaults. Most plead guilty and in mitigation claim being drunk or intoxicated and that it was ‘out of character’.

“This lessens the punishment and normalises the behaviour. It needs to be turned around so that being drunk or intoxicated is considered an aggravating factor, getting a harsher sentence. That would help change things.

“No-one should fear being a victim of such assaults and they should not be excused by drunken behaviour either.”

How will you mark International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8?

I will be working, mentoring Transition Year students who are on work experience with us, and carrying out regular duties.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

International Women's Day is recognising women's struggle over generations to gain the same respect, value, and opportunities as men. It is an opportunity to reflect upon women's accomplishments and contributions in their homes, work places and society, and to recognise how far we have come and how we can further contribute by using the positive attributes we possess, life skills, experience, education, to change attitudes and outdated beliefs. When we talk about gender equality, the majority of people think it's only about women but, in my mind, society as a whole, regardless of gender, needs to take shared responsibility to drive change and it is essential that men are included in discussions. It's about balanced representation driving change.

#BreakTheBias is the theme for International Women’s Day 2022. Applying the theme to your own life and career, what might it mean to you and what is your view or interpretation on the theme?

When pushing for gender equality, the onus is on us all that we do this individually and make collective efforts to break gender bias. When I say individually, I mean addressing and questioning our own bias. I think bias is certainly ingrained in us all to some extent, through societal gender conditioning from a young age. It's about breaking the habit, learning to spot it when it arises, and replacing it with responses that are consistent with our values. We need to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones and call out biased attitudes and behaviours and derogatory language towards women.

What attitude does An Garda Síochána take when it comes to gender and equality?

In what was once considered a male profession, An Garda Síochána are blazing a trail in terms of breaking gender bias. We are fortunate that we are on a level playing field with our male colleagues when it comes to equal rights. An Garda Síochána are encouraging women, people from diverse communities and minority groups to join the organisation. This momentous step forward will undoubtedly benefit the organisation and society and is rapidly reflecting the communities we serve.

An Garda Síochána currently has one of the highest level of female police officers in Europe. The majority of Garda staff are now women. 30% of officers are women and there are 38 females in senior roles with An Garda Síochána. In 2019, Commissioner Drew Harris began plans to establish a Women's Network within An Garda Síochána so women are better equipped to develop a career in policing and fully empowered to pursue opportunities and break down barriers.

What have been three career highlights for you to date?

There have been many so highlights of my career to date that I couldn't prioritise one or the other. Joining An Garda Síochána was a very proud and special moment for me. It has presented me with lots of challenges and excellent life skills that I would otherwise not have experienced had I been in any other profession. As a Community Garda in Ballymahon, which covers Abbeyshrule, Carrickedmond and Forgney, I have been extremely fortunate and proud to work with an incredible community of people. They have always been so supportive of An Garda Síochána and of the initiatives and various events rolled out by Gardaí over the years. There have been somany wonderful highlights of working with this fantastic community.

As a Community Garda, are there any initiatives you have been working on or any you are planning for the future?

Last Christmas, Longford and Granard Gardaí, together with Longford Public Participation Network, introduced Operation Blue Santa, which was a fundraising initiative to raise money for not for profit organisations and charities across Co Longford. We held a concert in St Mel's Cathedral and journalist, Jessica Thompson, and artist, Nicole Forster, created a children's book called Operation Blue Santa to coincide with this initiative. Altogether, with the support of the people in Co Longford and further afield, including St Mary's Sacred Heart National School, Bunlahy National School and elected members of Longford County Council, we raised an incredible €12,560.

Siobhán Cronogue and her colleagues in the PPN would like us to grow the initiative for next Christmas. It was a lady from Texas who sparked the idea as Operation Blue Santa originated in Texas. We adapted it with our own ideas and introducing the children's book was a unique spin on the initiative. We are in the process of planning for next Christmas and we intend to change the title to make the initiative unique to us here in Co Longford. So next year we will introduce Operation Blue Light Santa with a bigger team who are brimming with new ideas for what we intend to be a fantastic occasion for everyone across the county.

Also, local Gardaí have teamed up with Ballymahon and Carrickedmond football clubs to organise a day of celebrations for our senior citizens who have been a pillar of strength throughout the pandemic. We would like to have a special day where we as a community recognise the sacrifices they have made and celebrate their strength and resilience. We hope to hold this occasion in May to coincide with the Bealtaine Festival.

When dealing with the public, what challenges have you faced as a female Garda throughout your career so far?

There are numerous challenges Gardaí face on a daily basis that are not just specific to females. They are ever-present challenges for both male and female Gardaí - the threat of violence being a big one. However, a specific example of gender bias, which I faced as a female Garda would be when I attended scenes with male Garda colleagues and where we were met with males who completely ignored my presence. It was as if I were not there and they directed the conversation to my male colleague and dismissed any contribution I made. It was clear to me that the male guard was superior and in a greater position of authority to me, in the minds of these men, even though we both held the same rank. I have faced this type of scenario on a few occasions in the past but considering the service I have, they have been rare but they do exist.

Have you ever suffered or know of a family member or friend that has suffered harassment due to your gender?

Before I was a member of An Garda Síochána, I recall when I first moved to Dublin as a young woman walking through Rathmines quite late at night. A male walking in front of me turned around, shouting 'b*tch, give me your money or I'll kill you'. I recall the place being so quiet. I crossed to the other side of the road and the man followed me but there was a man walking along the footpath who helped me. He was actually from Ballymahon and he more than likely saved me from being attacked that night. Not too long after that, a friend and myself were walking home at night in Dublin and we were followed by a male on a bicycle who tried to barge in the door. Thankfully, the landlord was on the premises and came to our assistance.

The murder of young teacher Ashling Murphy, the subsequent outpouring of grief, solidarity, vigils held worldwide and anger about it firmly put a spotlight on attitudes towards and violence against women. Have you witnessed change? What needs to change?

I have not seen any change. It was about two years ago since the last random-style murder like that. Violence has not stopped and it won't - not while it is tolerated. Every weekend in towns across the country, there are random assaults on females and males. The punishment is always quite minor for those assaults. Most plead guilty and in mitigation claim they were drunk or intoxicated and that it was 'out of character'. This lessens the punishment and normalises the behaviour. If it is turned around so that being drunk or intoxicated was considered an aggravating factor, getting a harsher sentence, then that would help change things. We tolerate violence by tolerating drunk and intoxicated behaviour which is worse. Random violence against a woman, man, an elderly person. No one should fear being a victim of such assaults and they should not be excused by drunken behaviour either. I also think mental health services should be heavily invested in and made readily available.

The invasion of Ukraine have seen men and women go through untold pain and fear. What are your own thoughts on what is happening in Ukraine now?

What is going on in Ukraine at the moment is absolutely devastating and nothing short of pure evil. It is wonderful to see all the good that is going on with fundraising efforts and food or clothes appeals in Co Longford. I'm particularly impressed by Joll Boys and O'Halon's Pharmacy in Ballymahon who are collecting goods to be sent out to Ukraine.

Who are two ladies who have inspired you in your own life and explain why?

I have many great role models in my life. The two first and foremost are my mother, Bernadette, and my daughter, Andrea. My colleagues in An Garda Síochána who do such magnificent work holding a responsible and dangerous profession, juggling many other roles in their lives - they are truly inspirational and those sentiments are extended to my male colleagues also.

Dr Sumi Moodley is another incredible and inspirational lady with a heart of absolute gold and who, by her no-nonsense approach, encourages women to never let anything stand in their way to achieving whatever it is they want out of life.

Check out our other IWD interviews with inspirational Longford women at the link below:

International Women's Day | Celebrating some of Longford's amazing women #IWD2022 #BreakTheBias