Mary Robinson wants to provide a role model and to inspire confidence in other women to follow her lead.

"I think that times are changing. For example I … appointed a women judge of high court and present at the ceremony was the woman minister of justice and it was the attorney general who was the only man - providing some gender balance as I told him. And these changes are taking place and I certainly am a woman in a position of authority who wants to be a role model if I can and to encourage and very much to stimulate a sense of confidence and a sense of assuming responsibility."