A number of events are taking place in the North West today to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Referendum related events:
The Leitrim Abortion Rights Campaign plans to create a human bridge joining hands across the Shannon from Leitrim to Roscommon to mark a century of women activists.
Another Abortion Rights campaign is taking place in Sligo called the Three Billboards for Choice campaign.
Minority Groups:
The Donegal Women’s Centre is launching its new Women’s Black & Minority Ethnic Support Group in Letterkenny at lunchtime.
Lifestyle and Business:
The Friends of University Hospital Sligo are also hosting a day-long fundraising event to mark the day with sessions taking place at the Glasshouse Hotel.
These will include a session on ‘breaking the glass-ceiling’ for women in business, the impact of social media on our lives as well as lifestyle sessions later on in the day.
Fundraiser for Elaine O’Halloran in Strandhill:
The Draft House Gastropub in Strandhill, Sligo are also doing something very positive for International Women’s Day – fundraising for Elaine O’Halloran, a seriously injured woman from Strandhill with a cookery demo. The event takes place tonight upstairs at The Draft House at 8.30pm and tickets are just €10.
Politics:
Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee is in Donegal today for a Citizen’s Dialogue on the Future of Europe.
She says that the government is doing a huge amount of work with the aim of increasing equality and she says a new unit has been set up in the Department of Justice with the aim of achieving that goal:
She also says that more needs to be done to tackle sexism and bullying in all organisations.
It comes as her party leader Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has just recently launched an investigation into bullying and sexism claims by Senator Catherine Noone against another male Senator.
Minister McEntee says such claims should be taken very seriously whether made by a man or a woman of any party and in any sector:
