The concluding ‘action day’ meeting of ‘Women Together for a Better World’ development course took place in Ballybane Library, this Tuesday, May 23, seeing a diverse group of Galway’s women meeting to discuss the challenges they face and how to confront and change them.
The course was facilitated by charity, AkiDwA, an organisation that is a national network of migrant women living in Ireland, that seeks to create a society where equal opportunity and access to resources, is a reality. Established in 2002, AkiDwA, which comes from the Swahili word for sisterhood was the brainchild of Dr Salome Mbugua, an activist whose work over the last thirty years has highlighted women’s human rights issues and concerns, as well as facilitating the integration and protection of migrant women.
‘Women get stuff done’
The meeting on Tuesday was the last of six sessions AkiDwA’s development team have been running in Galway, with participants of the course receiving a certificate awarded to them by the Mayor of Galway city, Cllr Clodagh Higgins. ‘The Women Together for a Better World’ project saw the women of Galway from all walks of life, all social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, come together to explore how gender equality can be achieved by discussing equality and human rights through the lens of sustainable development goals.
Speaking at the event, AkiDwa’s CEO, Dr Mbugua said, “We want to integrate and allow migrant women to be in the mainstream in society and to be positive, we want them to participate in politics and become the champions of where they are living.
“So when we developed this project there was no better way to do it than to bring indigenous women, Irish women who were born here, together with migrant women to be able to share each others experiences and to explore potential solutions.
“We are not a homogenous group, we have to think of all perspectives and make sure that we leave no woman behind.”
Awarding certificates
The graduates of the programme were given the opportunity to discuss their experiences and areas they have identified as discriminatory or inaccessible to minority groups, be it through race, disability or religious background, with poor accommodation for refugees with rules that make them feel as though they are living in a ‘prison’, to inaccessible women’s healthcare, stereotyping and discrimination that many groups face. The sharing of stories from Traveller women, Women of Colour, migrant and disabled women being placed at the forefront of the event.
Expressing her thanks for the invitation and the opportunity to deliver the certificates to ‘The Women Together for a Better World’ participants, Cllr Clodagh Higgins said that she believed that such a programme should be rolled out to secondary school students in Galway.
“A programme of this nature could be rolled out in secondary schools in Galway and workplaces because I think there is a huge amount to learn.
“I think you should all be commended and applauded for participating in the course because you are really understanding different cultures and that is key when it comes to integration, to be able to understand different cultures and of course, the sustainability goals that are the foundation for participating in the course.”
Key learnings
With so many valuable points of view and lived experiences being mentioned, it seems like the women in the course have become friends as well as fellow students learning about each other and the individual experiences the women of Galway can share. There were hugs and friendly words shared, with each community sharing something they learned about each other, as well as coming together to try and envision the future, especially 2030 which is the year that the United Nations through the ‘Leave no one behind’ agenda aims to create a ‘world of universal respect for equality and non-discrimination.’
Some mentioned the labelling of minority groups in Ireland by media in news publications while covering crime as creating a negative perception of entire ethnic groups, therefore adding to an established bias and stigma and resulting in a feeling of ‘guilty by association’ felt by an entire community.
With so much to learn, AkiDwA aims to return to Galway for another development course like the ‘Women Together for a Better World’ and welcomes any woman who wishes to take part. As well as educational programmes, the organisation also provides aid and assistance for migrant women experiencing domestic, sexual and gender based violence and trafficking. To learn more, visit https://akidwa.ie, alternatively you can call 01 834 9851 or email, [email protected]
