Does the nation have a sex? Gender and Nation in the political rhetoric on Ireland

Abstract

This article analyses sexual and gender metaphors used in the political rhetoric about
Ireland produced by both British colonialism and Irish nationalism. Departing from Benedict
Anderson's formulation of the nation as imagined community, the author examines the
shifting of gender categories used in defining Irish identity. The author argues that the link
of gender and national identity coupled with the violent events surrounding the partition of
Ireland had important effects on the lives of Irish women best seen in the policies implemented
on matters of sexuality and family law that followed the declaration of independence.