Cork woman brings female investment message to China on St Brigid's Day 

A NORTH Cork woman who founded an international network to invest in women is bringing her message to the Chinese capital, Beijing, for a St Brigid’s Day event.

Whitechurch native Hilary Barry is the founder and secretary general of the Brussels-based LadyAgri Impact Investment Hub, which was established “to tackle the specific needs of women in agri-business with tailor-made solutions to overcome systemic constraints, improve quality, and market access”.

Ms Barry is leading a mission to Beijing, hosted by The Embassy of Ireland to China, which aligns with St Brigid’s Day.

Today, the Cork woman will lead a seminar on the Key Role of Women Agri-Entrepreneurs in Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action.

The event, which will be hosted by ambassador Dr Ann Derwin and UN resident co-ordinator Siddharth Chatterjee, will feature opening remarks by the former Irish president and chairwoman of the Elders Foundation, Mary Robinson.

The seminar will spotlight LadyAgri’s work across Africa and small island developing states, emphasising the pivotal role women agri-entrepreneurs play in global food systems.

The seminar will also underscore the urgent need for financial access to combat climate change’s effects and ensure food security.

Since her first experience in Ghana in 1993, Ms Barry has dedicated her entire career to social impact programmes across sub-Saharan Africa — as an avid supporter of the Africa-EU partnership.

She said that she is a strong believer that “patient investment in women in agri-supply chains, though challenging, will have a rising-tide effect and wide social impact”.

Her mindset in setting up LadyAgri was that investing in women is simply smart economics.

“By dedicating our support to women, we can be guaranteed that we are also investing in improving family livelihoods, improving opportunities for the next generation, positively impacting communities, and creating decent jobs and prospects,” she said.

Ms Barry first became interested in development work in Africa through her father’s work. 

Eamon Barry worked for the ESB’s international division and frequently travelled to Africa, where the ESB was involved in developing electricity projects.

When he started taking Hilary along, she also caught the bug.