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.

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

9am – 9.45am Registration and Networking

  • Ailbhe Smyth, Chair of Women’s Aid
  • Natalya O’Flaherty, ‘Think’ Spoken Word Performance
  • 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

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

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.
  • Sinéad Greene, Detective Superintendent with the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB), 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.
  • Moderated by Sarah Benson, CEO, Women’s Aid.
  • Insights and reflections from breakaway parallel sessions 1-6 by rapporteurs
  • Chaired by Sarah Benson
  • Norah Casey, entrepreneur, broadcaster, publisher and campaigner on women’s leadership and equality, nationally and globally.
  • 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.

This conference is generously supported by Arthur Cox.