There was never a better moment for women in Northern Ireland to develop their "genius" as the North emerged from a "largely macho culture", President Mary McAleese told a PSNI women's conference in Newcastle, Co Down, yesterday.
The Troubles was a difficult time for women to flourish but in this "at last blessed generation" great new opportunities were emerging, the President said.
"We have a strong memory of what all this has cost and so we know its value, its hard-earned, awful value. In back of it all there is a truth worth remarking on - we are emerging from a largely macho culture, a shape-throwing culture, steeped in the politics of conflict and until recently relatively untutored in the politics of consensus building," said Mrs McAleese.
"It was not an easy world for the genius of women to comprehensively flourish in, but there could not be a better time for women to seize the moment and the momentum as you are doing," she told the conference, which was also attended by women members of the Garda Síochána.
Mrs McAleese said that with politicians from all sides now working respectfully and good-humouredly together in government, the policing context has changed considerably and for the better.
"The vexed question of Northern Ireland's constitutional status is now comprehensively dealt with by the Good Friday Agreement and now there is space to deal with the many other pressing issues like children's education, health services, the environment, job opportunities, regional and rural regeneration, and economic development," she added.
The President said that policing was one of the most important, emotive and divisive issues to be resolved in arriving at a political agreement but the North now had a service supported by the entire community and "all the stronger for its diversity and its increased representation of men and women from both communities".
