An Cosantóir

24 When Órlaith Gallagher joined the Navy as a raw recruit in 1995, things were a lot different for women in the Naval Service. Twenty five years later, at the rank of LT Commander, things have changed significantly for her and her female comrades in the Navy and in the Defence Forces generally. "When I joined at 18/19, I was a bit innocent. At that age you think you can change the world", she recalls. Actually in many ways, Órlaith and Roberta O'Brien, who joined at the same time, did help to change the world of the Navy and how it looked on women. "The difference between men and women in the Navy never really occurred to me. There was a lot to learn and a job to be done. That's the way I looked at it." But she did notice two distinct attitudes amongst her male colleagues: "The older men were quite paternalistic; they wanted to look after you. Younger men thought you should be treated the same as a man". "If there was tough training then everyone faced it in the same way", she explains, "No quarter was given because you were a woman, and I wouldn't have wanted that anyway. I wanted to be treated exactly the same." Certainly, the training was tough in the early days. "It was very hard but Cadetship is hard for everyone at the start. They are moulding you and training you, to ensure that you will be able to do the job." She added: "They are pushing you and doing so when you are at your most tired to test your resilience and your ability to do the job. But in fairness, it was the same for everyone." However, a telling fact is that of the five Cadets (three male and herself and Roberta O'Brien), she and Roberta came through the two years of rigorous training and testing, but only one of the three males joined them in being commissioned. Overall, Órlaith believes things have improved considerably for women in the Navy and in the Defence Forces generally. "Just as society has changed, so has the Navy." "As regards our roles on board the ship, they are exactly the same as the men. Women can do the job just as well and that's what the Navy wants", she says. Still, the numbers remain low. Women make up only 6/7 per cent of Defence Forces personnel and she believes this needs to rise considerably. "Ideally, I would like to see that number up to at least 20 percent. I know the Chief of Staff wants it to go to 12 per cent and then 20 per cent. The more that women are seen to be doing the job, the more it will become the norm. She points out also that her old colleague, Roberta O'Brien, was recently promoted to the rank of Commander, the first female Commander in the Navy. At the same time, Tahalia Britton became the first female member of the Naval Service Diving Section. Plus Órlaith makes the case that a career in the Navy can be a very good one for a young woman. "It is very rewarding and fulfilling and I would certainly recommend it to any young woman out there who is wondering what to do with her life." The realities of life, however, have to be taken into account also. "It is more challenging as you get older and have a family and new responsibilities. But, in many ways, that is the same for a man as well", she adds. 25 YEARS OF FEMALES IN THE NAVY 25 YEARS OF FEMALES IN THE NAVY Interview with LT Cmdr Orlaith Gallagher A female member of the Navy on the Easter Parade back in 2016

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