7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘They had to take a stand': Documentary on impact of the law on Irish women included in TG4 autumn slate
The broadcaster held a launch event at Dublin's Lighthouse Cinema on Monday, showcasing a mix of original Irish language films, documentaries, live sports coverage and children's programmes.
Included on the schedule for TG4 this autumn is Mná na Léinte Gorma, a documentary examining the role women play in extremism both in the past and present day.
Well-known faces including Síle Seoige will be back on our screens with Síle Seoige – An Saol Mar Atá, where the Galway presenter will tackle issues such as bullying, parenting and anxiety 'with empathy and curiosity'.
Hector Ó hEochagáin will be travelling once again for what's being described by TG4 as an 'epic adventure' through Australia and New Zealand in Hector OZ/NZ.
Irish women's history will come to the fore on TG4 with the release of Ceartas Crua – Mná vs An Dlí, a two-part documentary series looking back at 100 years of Ireland's judicial system and its impact on the country's women.
Series producer Medb Johnstone told the Irish Independent the story of the series is 'quite sad in a way', but equally important for telling the story of positive changes in Irish society since the foundation of the State.
"It's an interesting way to look at our history. You might not think the law affects your life, but it absolutely does,' she said.
'Every decade or so, something changed, and women had to put themselves out there to make that change. We wanted to tell the stories of those cases and fit as many as we could into a two-part series.'
Ms Johnstone said fitting in all of stories proved challenging, with slews of change coming in quick succession during certain periods. The 1970s came into particular focus against the backdrop of a global women's movement.
Looking back at the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment, there were parallels drawn from 2018 to the 1983 referendum that introduced the Eighth.
"When we spoke to people about the 1983 referendum, they said it was very contentious. Around the time of Repeal, there was a heightened anxiety around it and people could feel something, this big decision that was on the country. People said it was the same in 1983,' she said.
"An amendment was put into the constitution and then taken out again. We spoke about Roe v Wade in the same context, that the law changes quite frequently. It takes a long time to happen, but just because something is in there now doesn't mean it can't come out or be added in again.'
One such example was the 1924 Juries (Amendment) Act, which effectively excluded women in Ireland from serving on juries, until the case taken by activist Máirín de Burca led to the passage of a new Juries Act in 1976.
"It's quite sad, that women were excluded,' Ms Johnstone said. 'When we were making this, we were thinking a lot about how we know the names of women who have been news stories because something happened to them, or they had to take a stand.
"In a way, that's not right. Nobody asks for it. Everybody knows who Savita Halappanavar is, who Vicky Phelan is. Their names are associated with great failings in this country, but a lot of good has come from what happened to them.'
