Plenty of events taking place in Cork to celebrate International Women’s Day

SEVERAL events will be taking place in Cork on International Women’s Day (IWD) to celebrate women’s health, wellness, creativity, and development.

IWD will take place on March 8, with Cork County Council’s Library and Arts Service presenting story-time sessions for primary schools in several local libraries, as well as organised book clubs, knitting circles, and creative-writing workshops.

To encourage new writers, two creative-writing workshops on ‘flash fiction’ will be held in Charleville and Dunmanway libraries, with Kinsale and Carrigaline libraries hosting intergenerational music and dance workshops for grandmothers, daughters, granddaughters, and other children.

A Healthy Ireland talk on ‘Nutrition for Menopause’, with registered dietician Aoife McDonald, will also take place on the same day at Midleton and Fermoy libraries.

The third annual IWD flash-fiction short story competition will also be launched on March 8, themed ‘Together’. Entries are open to adults, who can submit works in both Irish and English, until March 31.

Theme

Welcoming IWD and the opportunity to celebrate gender equality, Eileen Lynch, chairwoman of Cork County Council’s women’s caucus, said: “This year’s theme, ‘Inspire Inclusion’, is particularly reflective of Cork County Council’s work to ensure services are inclusive and welcoming to all.”

Munster Technological University (MTU) will also host its sixth annual Empowering Women to Lead conference on March 8.

The conference will be presented by Cork-based role models, who will share their success stories and provide tips for students.

Speakers will include MTU alumni, actor, and singer Molly Lynch; actor, director, and writer Ciaran Bermingham; as well as disability rights and inclusion activist Elena Canty.

Praising the initiative, Professor Maggie Cusack, president of MTU, said: “I am very much looking forward to opening the MTU’s 2024 International Women’s Day and welcoming all speakers, students, performers, and guests to this event, which is showcasing role models from across the MTU community.”

Further information on the individual library events can be found at www.corkcoco.ietarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">, and interest for the Empowering Women to Lead conference can be registered at https://events.mtu.ie.