RTE television presenter Claire Byrne has opened up about her own feelings of the Me Too movement that aims to highlight sexual harassment experienced by women.
The mum of three presents Claire Byrne live, as well as co-presenting the News at One and Saturday with Claire Byrne on RTE radio, and says we need to change how we think of ‘women with ambition.’
” Ambition is a positive thing. There are subtle behavioural shifts in terms of what people think they can say.” she told The Sunday Independent.
“Lecherous men prey on women who think they can get away with it. I’ve seen that time and time again. The young ones, the ones just out of college, the ones who won’t say anything. They’d never do it to someone like me who would just hit them a box. I have seen it going on from my early twenties right to the present day.
“I can remember incidents where I’ve said to someone that’s not appropriate for that person to talk to you like that. I can remember one occasion where there was someone on the verge of being lecherous.
“I would have been more senior than the person who was being preyed upon, that might be a strong phrase, but it was certainly inappropriate.
“I did tell the person to go away and I’m quite pleased about that.
“Of course this isn’t about policing banter. People know what they can say, it just takes a small bit of cop on.”
