Thread by @IrishWomenin

Louisa Westropp (born 1858), following a marriage characterised by constant domestic violence, sued her husband for divorce on the grounds of cruelty. Before Irish independence, cruelty was, in theory, legal grounds for divorce.....
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..... but men were considered to have the right to physically 'chastise' their wives, as women at that time had few rights (including the right to custody of their own children) cruelty was almost never cited in #divorce proceedings.
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It was the first time an #Irish #woman sued her husband for divorce on grounds of cruelty, and it set a legal precedent. Terrible as things were for Louisa, they were much worse for women from less wealthy backgrounds.
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At least she could afford to pay a #divorce #lawyer, and knew that she would be financially solvent after divorce. For many #women, staying with a violent, abusive spouse was their only option.
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#Women in #Ireland could not obtain barring orders on the basis of #domesticviolence until 1976, and there was no #divorce in independent Ireland until 1996. For decades, domestic violence, including #rape within #marriage, was effectively legal.
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While, of course, both #women and #men can be violent and abusive to their spouses, women are significantly more vulnerable to physical abuse, because they are typically smaller and less strong than their male partners.
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Women are also often especially vulnerable to physical abuse when they are #pregnant, or caring for small #children; as males do not get pregnant, this is a vulnerability unique to females.
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While women today have many more rights than they did in Louisa's time, domestic violence remains a significant problem in #Ireland today. Hopefully, one day #women will no longer need the shelters from domestic violence that are still so crucial.
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Louisa was a pioneer in her time, & thousands of women have fought for women's rights in marriage over the years that followed.

We've not been able to find a photograph of Louisa Westropp. If anyone can help with this, please get in touch.
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