Cork City Council Women’s Caucus members Cllr Mary Rose Desmond, Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Deirdre Forde and Cllr Colette Finn with Director of Services Paul Moynihan and Director of UCC’s Centre for Local and Regional Governance Dr Aodh Quinlivan launch the upcoming conference. Photo: Alison Miles/OSM PHOTO

Conference will address challenges faced by women

A conference next week will address the challenges and opportunities faced by women across communities, politics and business.

Organised on behalf of Cork City Council’s Women’s Caucus and in collaboration with Women for Election, it will also look at how to rebalance power in these spheres so women, of all backgrounds have a stronger voice and greater influence.

Called Pathways to Participation - Attracting and Sustaining Women as Leaders in Communities, Politics and Business, it will take place at City Hall on Tuesday 22 November.

A keynote speech will be delivered by Mary Crilly, CEO of the Cork Sexual Violence Centre, feminist activist and the 2022 Freedom of Cork City recipient.

The 2nd keynote will be given by Kimberly Ellis, Director of the Department on Status for Women in San Francisco. She is a former executive director of Emerge California, which trains Democratic women leaders to run for elected office and win.

Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Deirdre Forde, Minister for State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD, Chair of the Women’s Caucus Cllr Mary Rose Desmond, CEO of Women for Election Catriona Gleeson and Dell Technologies Vice President Bob Savage will also speak.

The Lord Mayor said: “The upcoming conference will bring women and men from diverse backgrounds and from political and non-political forums together to take a hard and honest look at the systemic barriers and fears that stop many women from believing in themselves and putting themselves forward.”

Chair of the Women’s Caucus Cllr Mary Rose Desmond said: “The conference will also see the launch of Caucus-commissioned research, 'Women’s Voices in the Council Chamber' by Dr Aodh Quinlivan, Director of the Centre for Local and Regional Governance at UCC.”

Dr Philip Murphy, Department of Government and Politics, UCC, Dr Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan, Lecturer in European Politics and Director of the Hub in Active European Citizenship, UCC and Luke Bishop, European Youth Parliament will also speak.

The public is invited to attend by booking on Eventbrite.