NWCI at the ICTU’s Women’s Seminar in Belfast

Published: Thursday, March 19, 2015

Our Membership Development Officer, Eilis Ni Chaithnia, attended the 2015 ICTU’s Women’s Seminar in Belfast on 5 and 6 March.

The seminar was a great opportunity to explore a myriad of equality issues that impact on women’s lives, from achieving ethical workplaces to maintaining positive mental health and securing equal representation of women in politics through quotas and other methods.

The two-day event began with David Begg symbolically welcoming his replacement as ICTU President Patricia King to her post. SIPTU’s Ethel Buckley introduced the Ethical Workplace Initiative as part of President Higgins' broader Ethics Initiative. Zuzanna Muskat-Gorska of the International Trade Union Confederation outlined major challenges for global trade union movement in tackling gender inequality. Bronagh Hinds from Deomcrashe and Michelle O’Donnell Keating from Women for Election outlined how both organisations are working to empower women in Northern Ireland to enter local and national politics. The first day ended in a sign-song and a showing of the documentary INEZ: A Challenging Woman about internationally renowned and hugely influential human rights and trade union activist Inez McCormack, who passed away in 2013. Annie Campbell, Director of Women's Aid Federation NI, gave the 2nd day key note speech domestic violence and violence against women, followed by Tom Meagher who stated that dismantling of the patriarchal system is necessary is violence against women is to end.