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Mary Robinson was the first woman president of Ireland. She served in this role from 1990 to 1997. She helped pave the way for future women presidents of Ireland and fought for human rights, even after her presidency was over.
Background
Robinson was born Mary Bourke on May 21, 1944 in Ballina, County
Mayo, Ireland. She was the only girl of five children, and her family was
upper-middle-class. Both of her parents worked as physicians, but she took
after her grandfather, who was a lawyer.
Education
Robinson attended a private primary school. From there, she
received her secondary education at Sacred Heart Convent at Mount Anville in
Dublin. She attended a finishing
school in Paris.
She graduated from high school and went to Trinity College
in Dublin, where she received her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws
degrees. She went to Harvard Law School to receive her Master of Laws degree. She
earned a position as a faculty member at Trinity College, making her the
youngest professor ever at the age of 24.
While in college, Robinson met her husband, whom she married
in 1970. The couple withstood a lot of controversy with their families because
of their religious differences, but the couple went on to have three kids
together.
Religious “controversies”
Robinson grew up Catholic. When she went to Trinity College,
the school was seen as a Protestant bastion, making it an interesting choice
for Robinson. She met her husband, Nicholas Robinson, while in college. He was a
Protestant, and when the couple got married in 1970, (Mary) Robinson’s family
boycotted the wedding.
Politics Before the Presidency
During her time as a professor, she also became an activist
who fought for women’s rights. She fought for the legalization of birth control
and divorce in Ireland. She served in the Seanad, Ireland's Senate, from 1969
to 1989 on behalf of the Labour Party. She ran for a seat in the Dail, which is
the lower house of Ireland’s Parliament, but both times ended in defeat.
Presidential Career
As mentioned, Robinson was Ireland’s first woman president
and served from 1990 to 1997. She received
support from her own Labour Party, the Green Party, and the Workers’ Party.
Throughout her presidency, she took on a more prominent role than those who
served before her. She also communicated a more modern image of Ireland to
those she served.
While president, she held firm to her background as a
constitutional lawyer and fought to defend the Constitution. Even though some
controversies arose, she held firm to what she stood for and saw debate and
pushback as healthy.
Human Rights Activism
Aside from being president, Robinson is a constitutional lawyer
with a wide array of experience. In this role, she has been a supporter of
human rights. After she finished serving as Ireland’s president, she became the
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights until 2002, a role that allowed her to
fight for human rights around the world.
Robinson then founded Realizing Rights: The Ethical
Globalization Initiative, an organization dedicated to human rights. She served
as president of the organization until its end in 2010. In 2010, she founded
and served as president of the Mary
Robinson Foundation-Climate Change.
Awards
Robinson has won several awards and accolades throughout her
career. She was honored as the Feminist of the Year by the Feminist Majority
Foundation in 1990. She was also awarded the Amnesty International Ambassador
of Conscience Award in 2004 and the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in
2009.
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