Women’s Aid 50th Anniversary Conference

Join us for the Women’s Aid 50-Year Anniversary One Day Conference

Maintaining Momentum towards gender equality with a zero tolerance of violence against women

Thursday 21st November 2024

Clayton Hotel, Cardiff Lane, Dublin 2.

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Book your conference ticket and tickets for the morning and afternoon workshop.

9am – 9.30am Registration and Networking

9.30am – 10am Welcome

  • Ailbhe Smyth, Chair of Women’s Aid
  • Opening Address by Guest Speaker
  • Natalya O’Flaherty, ‘Think’ Spoken Word Performance

10am – 11am Plenary Session 1: Panel Discussion

Domestic Abuse and Gender Inequality – advancements in Irish society over five decades, prevailing challenges and opportunities for change.

  • Sarah Benson, CEO, Women’s Aid.
  • Denise Charlton, CEO, Community Foundation Ireland.
  • Sean Cooke, CEO, Men’s Development Network
  • Stephanie O’Keeffe, CEO, CUAN, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency
  • Nicola Hanney, Coercive control survivor and author.

11am-11.30am Coffee Break & Exhibitions

11.30am-1pm Breakaway Parallel Sessions 1-3

Session 1: Disabled Women’s Experience of Intimate Partner Abuse

  • Susan Flynn & Gladys O’Neill, Research Team, Trinity College Dublin
  • Nem Kearns, Disabilty advocate and policy advisor.
  • Sarah Benson, CEO, Women’s Aid
  • Liz Pena, Head of Services Development, CUAN, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency.
  • Moderated by Ailbhe Smyth, academic, activist and chair of Women’s Aid.

Session 2: Facing Reality: Addressing Pornography and the role it plays in violence against women and children, including image based sexual abuse.

  • Mary Hayes, Too Into You co-ordinator, Women’s Aid.
  • Ruth Breslin, Director, The SERP Institute.
  • Alex Cooney, CEO, Cybersafe Kids.
  • Mick Moran, CEO, Hotline.ie.
  • Moderated by Ali Ryan, founder Goss.ie

Session 3: The cost of domestic abuse to women and families, the barriers to safety and the importance of an intersectional approach to zero tolerance of gender-based violence.

  • Eavan Ward, Head of Regional Services, Women’s Aid.
  • Louise Bayliss, Campaign Co-ordinator, Focus Ireland.
  • Dr. Rosaleen McDonagh, activist, playwright, author, and Traveller.
  • Megan Connors, Violence against Women programme, Pavee Point.
  • Dr. Salome Mbugua Henry, CEO, AkiDwA.
  • Moderated by Suzanna Knight, Head of Training and Development, Women’s Aid

1pm – 2.15pm Lunch & Exhibitions Restaurant & Main Foyer

2.15pm-3.45pm Breakaway Parallel Sessions 4-6

Session 4: Understanding and addressing coercive control and its impact on women and children.

  • Dr. Emma Katz, researcher and international expert on coercive control.
  • Professor Stephanie Holt, Trinity College Dublin.
  • Clíona Golden, Associate, Arthur Cox LLP.
  • Stephanie Whyte, Head of Services, Barnardos.
  • Mary-Louise Lynch, Founder, SiSi.
  • Moderated by Margaret Martin, former CEO Women’s Aid and current member of the Board of the National Women’s Council.

Session 5: Eradicating domestic abuse and gender inequality through partnerships and whole of society action.

  • Marisa Ryan, Head of Strategic Partnerships, CUAN the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency.
  • Hannah Wayte, Employer Engagement Project Leader, Women’s Aid.
  • Dr. Michelle Walsh, CEO, MOVE.
  • Colm Noonan, Chief Superintendent, An Garda Síochána.
  • Orla O’Connor, Chair, Irish Observatory on Violence against Women.
  • Moderated by Ellen O’Malley Dunlop, Vice President of CoE GREVIO committee.

Session 6: The importance of men’s leadership in pursuit of zero tolerance of violence against women and for gender equality.

  • Eoghan Cleary, secondary school teacher and assistant principal and SPHE and well-being expert.
  • Sean Cooke, CEO, Men’s Development Network.
  • Ivan Cooper, CEO, The Wheel.
  • Robert Hanly, Head of People and Culture, Allianz Ireland.
  • Finian Murphy, Marketing Director, Core Media.
  • Moderated by Sarah Benson, CEO, Women’s Aid.

3.45pm –4pm Coffee Break & Exhibitions

4pm Plenary Session 2

  • Insights and reflections from breakaway parallel sessions 1-6 by rapporteurs
  • Chaired by Sarah Benson

4.30pm Keynote Address

  • Norah Casey, entrepreneur, broadcaster, publisher and campaigner on women’s leadership and equality, nationally and globally.

4.50pm Closing Session

  • Sarah Benson, CEO, Women’s Aid.
  • Natalya O’Flaherty, Not Like Other Girls Spoken Word Performance

5pm-7pm Reception & networking

This event is free of charge.

The venue is fully accessible.

We will endeavour to provide Irish Sign Language Interpretation, where possible.

This conference is generously supported by Arthur Cox.

Register for this event