Two groups of women in Galway joined forces last week with each other and women around the world to support gender equality and #BreakTheBias.
In Ireland, as in other countries, gender bias is a problem in workplaces and communities, and that problem is only heightened for women with disabilities and those living in Direct Provision. In honour of International Women’s Day on Tuesday (March 8 ) and this year’s theme of Breaking the Bias, dozens of disabled women as well as women living in Direct Provision participated in special events at the Westside Resource Centre. The two events were held simultaneously but promoted a coming together of women in both groups.
Access for All Galway, a network of individuals and organisations working to improve conditions in Galway for disabled people, began the day upstairs in the centre with a morning of “Coffee, Connection, Inspiration.” Mayor Colette Connolly opened the event with inspiring words about Access for All goals in 2022 while Dr Shivaun Quinlivan, a Senior Lecturer in Law at NUI Galway and an expert in Equality Law with a focus on the right to education for people with disabilities, gave a motivating and informative talk as the event’s main speaker. Lorraine Lally, a practising barrister and member of Access For All, encouraged attendees not to be afraid to demand change in order to achieve full and equal enjoyment of all human rights. The event was sponsored by Galway City Partnership (GCP ) with support from the Galway City Community Network (GCCN ). Access For All coordinator, Ciara Coy, can be contacted on 083 0234390 or [email protected].
At the same time, downstairs in the centre, Galway City Partnership’s BRIDGE Project began with a coffee morning to explore the theme of Migrant Women in Education. The event was attended by women from Direct Provision centres in Galway city and featured guest speakers Dr Ciara Smyth, NUIG School of Law and Irish Centre for Human Rights, Jacqueline Phiri, NUIG University of Sanctuary scholarship recipient and Flutura Rrebani, PPN Representative for Refugee Resettlement Programme in county Galway. The BRIDGE project – Building a Receptive, Integrated and Diverse Galway of Equals – seeks to aid asylum seekers throughout Galway city.
BRIDGE Project Coordinator, Tahereh Fardintabrizi, can be contacted on 086 0433376 or [email protected].
