WoW! gears up for special supplement to mark International Women's Day

Today women who hold leading roles in our city and county share their thoughts ahead of International Women’s Day, on Wednesday March 8. See tomorrow's WoW! in The Echo for the full supplement, featuring more than 100 women in Cork.

Chief Executive of Cork City Council, Ann Doherty

This year’s International Women’s Day theme asks that we take time to reflect on how we can work together to cultivate a more equal, inclusive, equitable and diverse society. Sadly, we are all too familiar with the challenges women face and the conscious and unconscious bias they must battle each day.

In 2023, I am one of seven females (across 31 local authorities) appointed to the role of Chief Executive, this stark statistic highlights the need to cultivate environments that ensure more women are taking on leadership roles across the business, community, and political sphere. 

This IWD, be that trailblazer!

Lord Mayor Cllr Deirdre Forde

From year to year, we see International Women’s Day reaching farther and wider than the previous one, and this speaks volumes – it tells us that the women and men of Ireland and beyond are looking to create a more equal and just society, where women’s achievements can and should be celebrated.

As Cork City’s sixth female Lord Mayor in over 100 years, we must recognise the need to encourage more women to enter politics so that they can bring their unique perspective to the decision-making table, and ultimately help create a more inclusive, diverse and thriving society.

Professor Maggie Cusack, President of Munster Technological University

MTU was established in 2021 and now has a student body of over 18,000 across six campuses in Bishopstown, Tralee, Cork School of Music, Crawford College of Art & Design and the National Maritime College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy. Recently we published our five-year Strategic Plan, ‘Our Shared Vision’, which puts Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the heart of our university experience for all students and staff. In line with this strategy, I’m committed to making MTU the leading Technological University on EDI initiatives in Ireland to break down barriers and promote gender balance. To this end, MTU has engaged with several accreditations including the Athena Swan gender equality initiative, Code Red Period Dignity Project, which ensures that no-one loses out on their work or education due to lack of access to basic sanitary products; promoting opportunities for women in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects; and in 2021, MTU became Ireland’s first White Ribbon University, committing to tackling gender-based violence in all its forms.

The staff and students of MTU are our greatest assets and I want all members of our community to feel that MTU is a safe space to be the best version of themselves.

International Women’s Day 2023 is a welcome reminder of the critical importance of advancing gender equality, and of providing a learning and working environment where everyone enjoys mutual respect and dignity.

Deirdre O’Brien, Deputy County Mayor, Cork County Council

I am a full time Councillor since 2016 elected to represent my home area of Fermoy Municipal District. I have work experience as both employed and self employed, working in private business and health insurance and running my own retail and construction business.

I am really taken with the ‘embrace equity’ theme. 

I never got caught up on the equality as I felt we are too different to start with and what we would get is only piecemeal, what is the point if we still lack the recognition of giving a contribution or an opinion? Now, I do think it is good manners, holding the door for a woman, getting up to let a woman sit down, but that is personal, manners are good, be it a woman or an older person.

Equity, I feel it is time for women to be recognised for our ability, our strength, our opinions, our circumstances, we are well able to allocate the exact resources needed to reach an equal outcome, an outcome perhaps with another dimension, but that is good for all.

I really welcome the changes in curricular and sport for girls in all schools, mixed or single sex schools. It’s reasonable and fair, helps lead to better respectable relationships achieved, in career and in personal, recognition of ability and acknowledgement of the person for who they are, not what they are!

Cllr Eileen Lynch, Fine Gael Councillor in the Macroom Municipal District of Cork County Council. Chairperson of the inaugural Women’s Caucus of Cork County Council 

 As a solicitor, when I think of the phrase equity I’m always reminded of fairness, the law of equities was introduced as a way of recognising that not all crimes which appeared to be the same were in fact not. Equity sought to take into account the background of a case as well as the reliant facts; and I suppose that’s the way I still see equity today.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it is important to acknowledge that while we have come a long way in terms of equality for women we do not appear to have progressed as much in terms of equity. 

We are lucky in Cork County Council that 17 of our 55 councillors are female but we are still quite a way off reaching 50% and maybe the reason for that is lack of equity rather than equality. On the face of it women do have the same chance as men to be selected by their party to run or to put themselves forward as an independent candidate to run and they should have the same chance as male colleagues as getting elected; but this is where equity can come in. 

Men and women candidates do not generally come from the same starting blocks and do not face the same barriers, at least not in the same way. 

The question of childcare and gendered based abuse and threats do not effect men in the same way as they effect women. Until men and women have the same chance, we will not truly achieve gender equity or equality. I do however strongly believe that women have a strong role to play in achieving equity with male counterparts and need to continue to put themselves forward despite the lack of equity as a means to achieve it.

Cllr Mary Rose Desmond, Cork City South-East, Fianna Fáil, Chair, Cork City Council Women's Caucus

The theme for this year’s International Woman’s Day (IWD) - Embracing Equity - is a powerful one and builds on the momentum that we see growing year on year towards gender equality. It can be easy to dismiss IWD as tokenism, but it is not. 

It shines a collective light on women who strive to see an equitable platform for women across society.

Celebrating women’s achievements and increasing visibility, while calling out inequality is key. We need to continue to campaign for equity for women, not just in politics but in society in general. 

As chair of Cork City Council’s Women’s Caucus I have witnessed how raising the visibility of women in politics has led to increased discussion in the council chamber on how much more work needs to be done and should be done for gender equity. I also notice an increasing number of women approach me now with their views and ideas. Raising awareness of these issues on days like IWD gives women confidence and encourages participation for women and girls of all abilities, ethnicities and ages to know their worth in our world and the value they bring to society as a whole.