Caucus mark International Women's Day next week

A host of events have been planned by Cork City Council and its Women’s Caucus to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD).

Taking place next Tuesday, two virtual events for primary school students will take place on IWD 2022 through Dr Emmanuelle Schön-Quinlivan’s Big Friendly Guide to the European Union (BFGTEU) programme.

Cork City Council Women’s Caucus will join third-sixth class pupils from more than 170 schools nationally who are part of the programme to discuss the caucus, its vision, aims, objectives and gender equality in age-appropriate terms and answer the pupils’ questions.

Pupils and teachers will have been covering the topics of bias and gender equality in class in advance around the subjects of bias and gender equality and prepare artwork around specific forms of gender stereotyping. Dr Emmanuelle Schön-Quinlivan said: “BFGTOEU is delighted to team up with Cork City Council’s Women’s Caucus to #BreakTheBias. Gender equality is a priority of the European Commission.

“Boys and girls have a crucial role to play in fostering a gender equal society, which will strengthen our local and European democracy.”

Cork City Library on Grand Parade will host an hour long event titled A Dialogue with Cork City Council’s Women’s Caucus. Caucus member Cllr Colette Finn will read from Caroline Criado-Perez’s book ‘Invisible Women, Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men’, and this will be followed by a Q&A session with members of the caucus in the City Library from 1–2pm.

Cork City Council and St Peter’s Cork will show a screening of ‘Endurance & Engagement: Cork City Women in the 1920’s’ as part of the decade of commemorations for IWD 2022.

The short documentary looks at the lives of ordinary women in Cork city during the turbulent period of the struggle for independence and how they were impacted by the violence and unrest.

The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Colm Kelleher said: “Women played an extremely important role during the turbulent years of the 1920s in Ireland and particularly in Cork city. ‘Engagement and Endurance: Cork City Women in the 1920’s’ explores themes of loss, political engagement, social justice, conflicting loyalties and uncovers many of the challenging conditions endured by women in those dramatic times.”

Deputy Lord Mayor and Chair of Cork City Council’s Women’s Caucus Cllr Mary Rose Desmond said: “It is very fitting that ‘Engagement & Endurance: Cork City Women in the 1920’s’ will be aired on International Women's Day this year. I had the privilege, as Deputy Lord Mayor, of attending at its premiere as part of Cork Film Festival last November. It is a wonderful watch and gives a brief insight into the key role these women played in society and the tenacity and strength of women in that era.

“The Cork City Council's Women's Caucus are delighted to have this work included as part of the city's events to mark International Women's Day, particularly as the role women in Ireland played in the 1920s has far too often been overlooked. This commission of work by Cork City Council is a richly deserved recognition of these women which I believe will also serve to inspire women of today.”

Finally, a mural project called Women, Past & Present will be launched on 8 March at Tory Top Library, Ballyphehane. The project, a partnership between Cork City Council and the Ballyphehane 1916-2016 Commemorative Committee, will involve a mural on the theme of the Decade of Centenaries and Cork City Council’s ground-breaking Women’s Caucus.