Community Activist, advocate for gender equity and diversity, and Labour Party Candidate for Galway City East in the coming Local Elections, Helen Ogbu, extends a cordial invitation to the upcoming symposium titled ‘SHEroes – Promoting Women & Diversity in Politics’. This event is being organized following a successful grant application to Galway City Council, in collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage and will take place on April 17 at 10:30am to 2:pm, in the Menlo Park Hotel.
Helen Ogbu said; “There is a pressing need to address the underrepresentation of women, the lack of diversity, and the absence of people from migrant backgrounds in decision-making roles, especially in local government. The symposium serves as an opportunity to examine possibilities for change. Elected representatives, aspiring candidates, council officials, and advocacy organizations are invited to contribute their invaluable insights towards fostering gender equity, inclusivity, and diversity in politics.
“Galwegians are quite rightly proud of the diversity of our city. Eleven per cent of our city population described themselves as non-Irish in the last Census, giving the city the potential for harvesting new talents and ideas, enriching the city’s cultural and sporting life and altogether making the city an exciting place to live, work and play. It is important that decision-making bodies such as the city and county council reflect this diversity and vibrancy. This symposium is an important event, bringing together practitioners who see the reality of the lack of diversity in the political arena, who have insights into its underlying causes, and more importantly have ideas and practical suggestions as to how best to address it.”
Guest Speakers include; Mayor of Galway - Cllr. Eddie Hoare; Dr. Helen Maher - VP Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: University of Galway; Cllr. Hazel Chu - Dublin City Council; Cllr. Uruemu Adejinmi - Longford County Council; Cllr. Elena Secas - Limerick City East; Tahereh Fardin Tabrizi - Gateway to Employment Coordinator: Doras; and Teresa Buczkowska - Political Participation Coordinator: Immigrant Council.
For catering purposes, interested attendees are kindly requested to confirm their attendance in advance by emailing – [email protected].
