Irish Housewives Association

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The Irish Housewives Association (IHA) was an influential pressure group founded in 1942 to speak out about injustices and the needs of Irish women, inside and outside the home. [1] The organization continued until 1992, when it dissolved itself.

History

The IHA was founded by Hilda Tweedy along with Andree Sheehy-Skeffington, Susan Manning, and Louie Bennett. [1] The group organized a 'Housewives Petition' sent to the Government before Budget Day in 1941. Later that year over 600 additional signatures were collected. [2] Initially known as the Irish Housewives Committee, [3] the group was formed at a meeting on 12 May 1942. [2] They initially campaigned for school meals, free travel for pensioners, and consumer protection. [1] In 1946 the organization renamed itself Irish Housewives Association. [3]

In 1947, the IHA affiliated to the International Alliance of Women. [1] Members of IHA, Beatrice Dixon and Kathleen Swanton began a campaign to have women serve on juries in Ireland. In 1957, Dixon went on to become the first women to serve on a jury. [4]

From 1954 until the early 1960s, the IHA was infiltrated and investigated by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid's Vigilance Committee for communist activity. [5]

In 1968, the IHA played a leading role in the setting up of the Council for the Status of Women (now the National Women's Council of Ireland). [1]

In 1992 the IHA dissolved itself.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hilda Tweedy obituary, Irish Times, 9 July 2005.
  2. 1 2 Law, Cheryl (2000). "IHA – Irish Housewives Association". Women, a modern political dictionary . London: Tauris. pp.  169. ISBN   9781860645020 . Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 Law, Cheryl (2000). "Tweedy, Hilda". Women, a modern political dictionary . London: Tauris. pp.  149. ISBN   9781860645020 . Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Lunney, Linde (2009). "Dixon, Beatrice Maureen". In McGuire, James; Quinn, James (eds.). Dictionary of Irish Biography . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  5. ↑ de Haan, James (2015). "McQUAID'S 'OLD GRANNY'". History Ireland. 23 (1): 42–44. doi:10.2307/43234641. JSTOR   43234641.
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