Dr Easkey Britton marks International Women's Day with public lecture in GMIT Mayo

In celebration of International Women’s Day, GMIT Mayo Students Services are delighted to welcome champion surfer, environmentalist and ambassador for women’s surfing and gender equality Dr Easkey Britton who will give a presentation entitled "We are ocean: cross-cultural connections between people and the sea.”  The talk will take place on the eve of International Women’s Day in the Mayo campus – Thursday, 7 March at 7pm.

Dr Britton is an inspirational figure who combines her passion for the ocean with her day job as a marine social scientist in her role as a post doctorate research fellow in NUI Galway where she researches the link between oceans and human health as part of the EU-funded Horizon 2020 Seas Oceans and Public Health in Europe (SOPHIE) project.

Dr Britton is a lifelong surfer. Her parents taught her to surf when she was four years old and she channels her passion for surfing and the sea into social change. Named an ‘Agent of Change’ by Surfer Magazine in their special Ocean Edition, surfing is Dr Britton’s active metaphor for life.

Her work is deeply influenced by the ocean and the lessons learned pioneering women’s big-wave surfing in Ireland and introducing the sport of surfing with women in Iran which led her to be invited to give an inspiring TEDx talk ‘Just Add Surf’. Her ground-breaking journey to Iran in 2013 introduced the sport of surfing to women and local communities and is featured in the award-winning documentary film ‘Into the Sea’. Passionate about facilitating creative and collaborative processes, she founded Like Water, a platform to explore innovative ways to reconnect with who we are, our environment and each other, through water.

To mark International Women’s Day, Dr Britton will draw on all these experiences and much more as she invites the audience to explore and discuss gender, diversity, inclusion and what 'we are ocean' means in an engaging audio-visual presentation. She will present award-winning short film clips of her work and surfing from around the world to spark insight and conversation.

GMIT Mayo Sports Officer Nigel Jennings says: “It promises to be an extremely engaging, informative and enjoyable event which GMIT Mayo are delighted to host. Entry is free but booking through Eventbrite is essential – click on the link to register https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/international-womens-day-gmit-mayo-campus-tickets-56343306346

Here's a link to surf images from Dr Britton’s award winning short film A Lunar Cycle - please credit: Andrew Kaineder: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qhe18jq5dc5w23q/AACKNeaTYtfFH1XA8fpf9YUda?dl=0

ENDS

Regina Daly
GMIT Communications Officer
GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway
Tel. 091 742826 / 087-9618355 (m) regina.daly@gmit.ie
www.gmit.ie/news