Laura Dowling

But because of it, it built a podium.

And then I also got to travel different parts of the world.

A lot of those stories and nuggets have impacted the way I write policy now.

Absolutely.

From human trafficking, meeting a young sex worker in Calcutta in India at seven, eight years of age.

At which age?

At seven, eight, maybe eight years of age.

And I can only tell you the lived experience in her eyes, like everything.

I still get haunted by it.

Like she had seen and done things that I will never know.

Sorry, you met her as the Rose of Tralee?

Yeah.

So a part of the Rose of Tralee, it's your ambassador role.

So I kept my full-time job in Philly.

So I was doing a lot of Monday to Fridays and Monday to Thursdays in Philly and then flying here at weekends.

And because I was the gay Rose of Tralee at a time where

Ireland was shifting and changing in terms of marriage equality.

Press liked us.

We were being invited to a lot of places.

And I really felt like what a huge opportunity to like elevate the fact that women should be proud about where they come from.