Celebrating in Galway: 40 Years of Feminism
Published: Monday, June 03, 2013
On May 30th we held our members and friends meeting in Galway. The meeting focussed on the theme of 40 years membership of the European Union, 40 years NWCI action for women's Equality – where are we now?
We had an excellent turnout of enthusiastic participants from a broad range of sectors who listened and responded to a dynamic panel of speakers including, Niamh Reilly, Senior Lecturer and co-director of the Global Women's Studies Centre at NUI Galway, Cllr Sally-Ann Flanagan, Tuam Town Council and previously Mayor of Tuam, the youngest in Ireland, Charlotte Farrar, NUI Galway Feminist Society and law student, Bridget Kelly, Enterprise Worker with Galway Travellers Movement and Chairperson of the National Traveller Women's Forum. Also speaking at the event were Olwen Dawe, economic and enterprise development consultant and Executive Member of Network Ireland and Maria Onyemelukwe, a graduate in Community and Youth Work at NUI Maynooth and representative of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland.
Together we discussed the progress that has been fought for and achieved by women in the past 40 years including the end of the marriage bar, access to contraception, divorce and equal pay for equal work. We also talkeb about today's reality for women and the need to build a sense of solidarity and collective action amongst women, the importance of challenging sexism and patriarchy, the need to ensure that the voices of a wide range of women are heard in our discussions especially women with disability who are frequently excluded.
Thanks to everyone who came and to our excellent panel of speakers!