Mary Robinson is one of the most inspirational women Ireland has ever known. She was one of the first to take an axe to a very thick and reinforced glass ceiling, tearing it down so we can all make our way through. You can read more about why we love her so much here.

Here are some of our favourite MR quotes, from a woman who was never known to mince her words!

“I was elected by the women of Ireland, who instead of rocking the cradle, rocked the system.”

“In a society where the rights and potential of women are constrained, no man can be truly free. He may have power, but he will not have freedom.”

“Feel empowered, and if you start to do it, if you start to feel your voice heard, you will never go back.”

“Human rights are inscribed in the hearts of people; they were there long before lawmakers drafted their first proclamation.”

“If you are small and don’t particularly want credit for what you are doing, you can achieve a lot.”

“A culture is not an abstract thing. It is a living, evolving process. The aim is to push beyond standard setting and asserting human rights to make those standards a living reality for people everywhere.”

“The fight for human rights is about speaking truth to power.”

“Freedom from discrimination for women, ensuring that female children can learn to read, these are human needs for half the human race, not western values.”