Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first-ever woman president and former UN Human Rights Chief, is a passionate, vocal advocate for the role women should play in shaping a better world. In her film ‘Mrs Robinson’, she describes climate change as a “man-made problem with a feminist solution”.
Women are significantly underrepresented in diplomacy and political leadership, and yet are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between national legislative priorities and global diplomatic initiatives. This International Day of Women in Diplomacy (24 June), we spoke to Trisha Canning, co-producer of the documentary ‘Mrs Robinson’, which shines a light on Mary Robinson’s inspirational career and the power of female leadership.
Why was it important for you to work on this film about Mary Robinson?
It began from a desire to tell the story of female leadership. Throughout my career, I’ve worked in many male-dominated areas such as sport and motoring. Over the past decade there’s been an emergence of female stories, and I’d consider ‘Mrs Robinson’ part of that trend.
We were influenced by documentary films such as ‘RBG’ [on Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Ruth Bader Ginsburg]. We considered who was Ireland’s RBG, and the answer was obvious: It was Mary Robinson.
Irish audiences are very familiar with Mary Robinson, so we had to think about what would interest them that they hadn’t seen before. We were also aware that many beyond Ireland would not know who she was, so why would they care? Getting that balance right was key.
It was about the balance between climate action, which is what Mary primarily works in now, and the historical story – her past achievements.
What is the lasting legacy of Mary Robinson in Ireland today?
When you look at Mary Robinson’s career as a whole, you really see how much of a groundbreaker she was. You can join the dots from her early pioneering legal cases, such as using the right to privacy to protect a woman’s access to contraception, or women’s rights to serve on juries to her role as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her impact on legislation and social change in Ireland has been enormous. Her influence on global affairs has been substantial.
She was involved in many of the momentous legislative and social changes that happened in Ireland during the 1980’s and 90’s, events that changed Ireland dramatically. That was the Ireland I grew up in. I didn’t vote for Mary Robinson in 1990 as I was one of the many Irish living abroad, the diaspora who were represented by the light in the window of the Áras (the President’s residence in Dublin). Her election as President, particularly against the incumbent who represented the past, was a landmark moment. What was amazing was we knew it at the time. We knew this was an upheaval that would have a lasting impact and it did – both immediate and long term.
Mary Robinson was a symbol of change and a ground breaker. But her impact is more fundamental than that symbolism. Through her work, her advocacy for the underdog and her courage and strength to speak truth to power, she changed Irish society and the global environment for the better. I just hope that in the current political environment, the principles she embodies do not vanish in the disinformation and misinformation that are beginning to spread in political discourse.
What is the film’s key message?
While the dominant story arc in the film is Mary’s past achievements, it is the present story, her work with the Elders [a group of predominantly-retired international leaders who formed a collective to impact global events for good] and Project Dandelion [a women-led campaign for climate justice] that has impacted me the most and I think is a key message.
Like many Irish people, I’m very familiar with her story and the period in which it’s set. I enjoy seeing that archive and am entertained by the discourse about it, however it is the current climate crises that have the biggest impact on me now, and the fact that at age 80, Mary Robinson is still engaged on a world stage and is gripped by climate justice.
The interview text has been edited for brevity and clarity.
See also:
“We have to know our power”: Mary Robinson inspires at UN Cinema