Limerick Women’s Caucus event inspires future leaders
EMBRACE, Empower and Elect was the theme of the Limerick Women’s Caucus event which aimed to attract more females to run for local election with only 22.5% women currently elected representatives in Limerick.
Three panels featured on the day discussing topics around women in politics, education, health, sport and community and the panelists shared insight into their roles as leaders in their fields while highlighting the disparity in politics.
“The reality is that when we designed politics as an independent state a hundred years ago we designed women into the home and out of public life. So we need to look at culture change but we also need to get a lot more women into politics as well. We need to develop initiatives that make the role of being a councillor more manageable, more family friendly for both women and men and make it a safer space for all,” said Catriona Gleeson, CEO of Women for Election, during the event in the Istabraq Hall.
Sitting on the sport and community panel was Jackie McCarthy O’Brien, the first black woman to represent the Republic of Ireland women’s football team. The Kileely native spoke about her own mother and the powerful impact she had on her career, setting her to push boundaries.
“My mother encouraged me to play sport for the health benefits and the sense of community it provides. But today you hear a lot of mothers saying they don’t want their daughters playing rugby or other sports. They believe they are too dangerous”.
Jackie played rugby for Ireland as well and spoke about the importance of women supporting women. Her own daughter Sam, who was also in attendance, played soccer for Ireland, making them the only mother and daughter to play on the Irish team.
“We’ve lost that matriarchal positivity that ‘yes, my daughter can do whatever she wants to do.’ Whether it’s in industry or in sport women are capable of doing whatever they set their minds to. They are not competing against men. We should be equal going forward and have the same opportunities as men have if we have the skills to do it,” she explained.
Female councillors also joined in on each panel with Cathaoirleach of Limerick Women’s Caucus, Cllr Sarah Kiely adding: “I hope this event has inspired someone to have the conversation, to look at the possibility of putting their name forward”.