Rallying cry for women ahead of major conference in Cork

Sat, 19 Nov, 2022 - 02:00

Eoin English

One of the most powerful unelected women in US politics has urged Irish women to channel Beyonce and "get into formation" to ensure more female participation and leadership roles in politics and business.

Kimberly Ellis, the director of the Department on Status for Women in San Francisco, and who has been named the most powerful unelected person in California Democratic politics, made her comments ahead of a major conference in Cork next week focusing on what is required to attract and sustain female leaders in communities, politics, and business.

Ms Ellis, a former executive director of Emerge California, which trains Democratic women leaders not just to run for elected office, but to win, said constant “work, commitment, and intentionality” is required to ensure representation for women and marginalised communities.

Because the reality is that while it’s critical to shatter glass ceilings, the work to bring about gender equality is never really done because the patriarchy never gives up,” she said.

“My hope is that our Irish ladies and non-binary folks get into formation, like Beyonce said, demand of the political parties and leadership that women be recruited, trained, and supported in equal numbers as their male counterparts; vote the hell out of every election for every office up and down the ballot; and make it unacceptable for women to not be included in every place and space in all areas of society, including and especially politics,” she said.

“If for no other reason than that data clearly shows that policy outcomes for everyone, including men, drastically improve when women are part of the decision-making.”

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The Pathways to Participation — Attracting and Sustaining Women as Leaders in Communities, Politics and Business conference, which is being organised on behalf of Cork City Council’s Women’s Caucus in collaboration with Women for Election, in City Hall next Tuesday, will be MC’d by award-winning screen and stage writer, author, and director, Stefanie Preissner.

Cork Sexual Violence Centre chief executive Mary Crilly will deliver the first keynote address, followed by Ms Ellis's address.

Sexual Violence Centre director Mary Crilly. Picture: Larry Cummins

The council’s Women’s Caucus was set up to increase women’s engagement and representation in local politics.

Its chairwoman, Fianna Fáil councillor Mary Rose Desmond, this week congratulated fellow councillors Fiona Ryan and Fiona Kerins, who have given birth in recent weeks, but said: "The Maternity Protection Bill is moving through to pre-legislative scrutiny, but it is still an absolute disgrace that in November 2022, we do not have maternity leave for councillors."

Other conference speakers will include Fine Gael councillor Deirdre Forde, the mayor of Cork City; minister of State at the Department of Local Government, Peter Burke; Women for Election CEO Catriona Gleeson; Dell Technologies VP Bob Savage; Dr Philip Murphy of UCC’s Department of Government and Politics; and Dr Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan, lecturer in European politics and director of the Hub in Active European Citizenship at UCC.

Those looking to attend can book on Eventbrite.com.