The perspective of the world is vastly different in the eyes of everyone. Through my time in Ireland, I have been able to see the world through a larger perspective than at any other time in my life. I have been able to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of society through a worldly perspective. Also, I have been able to see the societal differences between the United States and Ireland. By learning about the history of Ireland and its culture, I have been able to see how inclusive the country of Ireland has become since its establishment as a state in 1921. Women have played a massive role in Irish history for centuries and were pivotal during the Potato Famine of 1845 to 1852. The factors of sex and gender have affected the history, culture, and economics of Ireland in many ways, especially during the Great Famine. Before we dive deep into the role that women played during the Great Famine, we must explain the roles of sex and gender in modern society.

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Gender refers to the societal norms and characteristics of men and women. According to the World Health Organization, gender refers to “the socially constructed characteristics of women and men – such as norms, roles and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to society and can be changed.” Often times people can get gender and sex confused and may even think they are the same thing. Sex refers to the “different biological and physiological characteristics of males and females, such as reproductive organs, chromosomes, [and] hormones” (Council of Europe). The misuse of biological sex is vast, especially within the United States, and has been an ongoing issue within society as a whole. People who “formulate sex categorizations and definitions overwhelmingly rely on biological features to ground membership” (Karzakis). This assumption about sex can “hold appeal and power since a reference to “biology” and “science” lends any suggested trait or combination of traits the appearance of neutrality and thus objectivity” (Karzakis). Once society understands the difference between sex and gender and no longer misuses biological sex then the growth of acceptance within the world will occur.

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Furthermore, when studying sex and gender the term intersex may appear. Intersex is a term used to describe persons who are born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the boxes of “male” or “female.” There are many different ways one could be intersex, and this includes some people who have “genitals or internal sex organs that fall outside the male/female categories” (Planned Parenthood). There are records of intersex occurring since the dawn of time and this is due to the fact that intersex is a natural phenom. One historical figure in particular who may have been intersex is Casimir Pulaski who was a Revolutionary Solider and made a huge impact in the Savannah, Georgia area. The reason why some historians believe Pulaski may have been intersex is due to his remains being delicate and “female-like.” Pulaski is a wonderful example of intersex because their outside appearance fell into the “male” box while the internal structure of their body fell into the “female” box. Also, the term intersectionality is not the same as intersex and some people may get these two terms mixed up. Intersectionality is the idea that everyone should acknowledge the unique experiences of discrimination and oppression that may occur due to someone’s identity. An example of intersectionality could be a black woman going to the hospital to receive medical treatment. This woman may face oppression due to her gender and skin color. Intersex and intersectionality are vitally important to understand in a progressively moving society.

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Moreover, in 1845 a potato blight hit Ireland causing a failure in crops for many seasons which then resulted in the starvation of the Irish people causing the biggest cultural shift in Ireland’s history. Although rarely mentioned in records of the famine, Irish women were the unsung heroes of Ireland’s darkest and poorest time. During the famine, Irish women faced many barriers including being abandoned by their husbands and being left alone with their children to take care of. The only way some women survived was by prostitution while others set sail for Australia and the Americas. Other women stayed in Ireland and fought through the horrors of starvation during the famine.

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The Great Famine affected millions of people in Ireland and forever changed the history of Ireland. As mentioned before, women played a huge role in the Great Famine that lasted from 1845 to 1852. In most records of women in the famine, they are portrayed as victims and not heroes. Sadly, some women were exploited during the famine, while others made waves by picking up jobs such as workhouse matrons, caregivers, and landlords. Some research suggests that poor women had more agency than generally thought and this was due to the fact that they could petition their landlords for help to allow their family to survive (Kinealy). Throughout the famine, it seems that women supported women no matter the socioeconomic background of that person. Lady Sligo of Westport House in County Mayo “responded in practical ways, supplying her tenants with blankets and much-needed food” (Kinealy). Lady Sligo and her family are a rare but prime example of how some tenant’s wives came together and took care of the people on their land instead of kicking them off. Also, some women fought the famine by creating relief coalitions such as the Belfast Ladies' Association for the Relief of Irish Destitution which was open to anyone no matter their religious status. Women played a huge part in the famine and most likely saved thousands of lives by creating relief plans and other forms of relief.

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While thinking about women in Ireland during the famine it is important to see the issue through the lens of Ecofeminism. Women “shifted from a culture revolving around creativity in preparing food, saving supplies and kitchen work to creativity in keeping [their] children alive” (Ourkiya). Irish women would feed their families potato seeds to survive, and some would even walk miles searching for food. Some reports during the famine suggest that some women got so desperate to feed their families that they turned to cannibalism by feeding on their dead loved ones’ bodies (Ourkiya). The strength of women during the famine was unimaginable and many families survived due to the strength of the woman.

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Furthermore, Australia helped the women of Ireland in a profound way under the Earl Grey Scheme. This scheme was for young girls and women who needed food to be shipped to Australia and then ultimately married off. This scheme was seen as “support from the Australian government, was in fact an exploitation” of women (Ourkiya). The shipment of women to Australia as well as the women who went to America for a better life led to a cultural shift in the Irish population and economics. Another shift in culture for Ireland was the inequality between genders when it came to work opportunities during the famine and the inequality drove some women to prostitution. Between 1845 and 1850 there was a rise in “fallen women” and this was due to prostitution occurring in order for some women to survive (Ourkiya). The women who became involved in prostitution and who were deemed “fallen” would be sent to Magdalene laundries where they would do free labor for institutions throughout Ireland including the government. The creation of the Magdalene laundries is a very dark piece of Ireland’s history, and the destruction of the laundries created a religious, economic, and overall cultural shift within Ireland over 100 years after the famine. Unfortunately, the exploitation of Irish women was a factor behind immigration throughout the world as well as a shift in economics and the foundation of a dark history within Ireland.

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The women who immigrated throughout the world due to famine created a huge population shift throughout Ireland. There is not enough evidence to see how many women left Ireland during the famine. Still, the Irish population went from over six million before the famine to three million after the famine. The high shift in population was historic for Ireland and changed the culture. Prostitution was on the rise during the famine which led to the use of “fallen women” which then ultimately led to the Magdalen laundries. The Magdalen laundries were an abuse of power by the catholic church towards women and children and once the exploitation was seen by the rest of Ireland a religious shift was forced upon the Catholic church. The unity of women throughout Ireland created a supportive culture which then helped white women gain the right to vote in 1918 and then all women the right to vote in the 1950s. The women in the famine changed the course of history for Ireland in many forms. Irish women in the famine had a global effect by immigrating as well as an economic effect by gaining new jobs and skills. Also, Irish women changed the culture of Ireland by keeping it alive during the darkest times. The strong Irish women that we know today is due to the foundation of the strong unsung heroes of the Potato Famine which were the Irish women.