Banúlacht International Women's Day Conference: Reimagining Women’s Human Rights

Banúlacht International Women's Day Conference

Reimagining Women’s Human Rights

Friday, March 7th 2008
9.00 to 5.30 p.m.
Axis Centre, Ballymun, Dublin

International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day, March 8th, is a day when women throughout the world come together to celebrate women, the gains and achievements made by women through the years in their fight against oppression, prejudice and inequality. Banúlacht conferences aim to celebrate activism and link local and global aspects of the women’s movement and feminist activism.
Banúlacht holds an annual conference to celebrate International Women’s Day. The theme for this year’s conference is Reimagining Women's Human Rights. The conference is for women from community development and community education organisations, non-governmental organisations, national organisations, as well as individual women, feminist activists and all those interested in feminism and development from a local and a global perspective.

The conference will address the questions:
· What are the key women’s human rights issues today for women in Ireland and globally?
· What are the links between community development and human rights?
· What can women in Ireland do to promote and fulfil women's human rights in solidarity with women in the South?

Key note speakers

Valerie O’Carroll—Community activist in the women’s sector, currently working with the National Women’s Council of Ireland as a campaign development worker.

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi—Head of External Relations with Skillshare International and Vice Chair of Akina Mama wa Afrika.

Sarah Mukasa—Ugandan feminist activist who currently works as programme manager with the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF).

Anne Marlborough
Anne Marlborough is a feminist human rights activist, currently working as CEO of Doras Luimni, an NGO which supports migrants in the mid-west.

See our website www.banulacht.ie for:
A full-colour conference leaflet
Conference information in MS Word format
A Booking Form in MS Word format
Directions to the conference venue.

The Launch of Marriagequality

OK this is going to be a quick post, Mainly because I am tired but also because I am in the middle of a thesis proposal for my masters that is due for tomorrow...(it's only a draft mom, don't worry!). I went to the launch of MarriagEquality today in the Mansion House-Yes I skipped class to go. However I am quiet glad that I did. Sometimes in your life there are moments where you feel that a movement or that something has arrived that you feel will go on and change the world and more importantly change the World which you exist in. I firmly believe that this movement has become embodied in MarriagEquality and it will achieve its aims.

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I walked into the Oak Room this morning and was thinking God I hope they get enough people in to fill all the seats. I guess an empty room always seems harder to fill when nobody is around. I need not have worried though because as the 11am start time approached, not only was all the rows of seats filled, but the spillover was going out into the lobby. The speeches were great and very affirming, as one would expect at the launch of a new initiative such as this. However it was the Rev. Chris Hudson, whose call for those of the Christain tradition not to slink off in the night to have the laws of inequality strengthened. I do have the utmost of respect for this man. I guess it is the fact he is a Unitarian Christian minister who is against inequality, both church and state and is not afriad to speak out. Even though I may still be Roman Catholic and my faith is quiet strong, his message speaks volumes to me.

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I have been part of many movements/groups in the last couple of years-not to the same extent as the level of involvement that was in that room this morning- I can honestly say, today I felt that I was apart of something very very special. Listening to the endorsements and empassioned pleas of the National Women's Council, the Lone Parents Network (ONE), Labour LGBT, Dublin Pride I felt a strange and unexpected sense of pride welling up inside me. I was moved to near tears on a couple of occassions during this morning, I guess that is how emotional the whole event felt for me. It was as if, like I said earlier, that you could feel the ground swell of support for something that is directly affecting people's lives.

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I want Civil Marriage for one reason and one reason only. I do not want to be a second class citizen in my own Republic. I do not want no provision or protections by the Irish state, which comes with marriage, ignored whilst I am offered a seperate but equal 'dog license' proposal. Seperate but equal is not equal. Civil Partnership is not Marriage. I want the oppourtunity to go to my local registery office either in Nenagh or Limerick with my partner. I want to be married in the eyes of the law, the eyes of my family, the eyes of my friends and the eyes of the state. I want that because marriage is stability. Marriage is recognized as a stable unit. I also want the oppourtunity to celebrate my 25th Anniversary like my parents have done this wkd with my partner. I don't think it is a big ask. I don't pay my taxes to have lawmakers lie behind Bunreacht na hÉireann. If you claim the law is incompatible, change the law. If you do not, I will be reconsidering my vote and I will bring my family with me, they will bring their families and so on and you will not be in Government. I will continue to do this until whoever is in Government gives me my basic rights. Besides if Catholic Spain can do it, surely Catholic Ireland should have no excuse.

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The time has come. The time is now. No more excuses.

EQUAL-L : ‘Symposium on the Distribution of Care Work between Women and Men’

The National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) invites you to a ‘Symposium on the Distribution of Care Work between Women and Men’

Sharing the Care Work

SPEAKERS

Professor Dr Kathleen Lynch, UCD Chair of

Equality Studies,

Cathal Mac Coille, Morning Ireland, RTE Radio 1



Date: Tuesday, November 20th 2007

Venue: The Fitzwilliam Hotel, Stephen’s Green,

Dublin 2

Time: 10:30am to 1:30pm (followed by lunch)


For reservations : Contact Enca on (01) 8898 471 or encagc@nwci.ie.

Spaces are limited, so early booking is essential.


The NWCI is hosting this event as part of the EU Year of Equal Opportunities. The aim of the event is to stimulate a more public debate on the issue of care (in particular, unpaid care work) between women and men and its impact on women’s equality.


Michelle Scanlan
Information Officer
National Women's Council of Ireland
Direct Line: 01-8898479
Phone: 01-8787248
Fax: 01-8787301
email:info@nwci.ie
web: www.nwci.ie

9 Marlborough Court
Marlborough Street
Dublin 1