GMIT celebrates Women's International Day with series of events (4-12 March)

GMIT is delighted to announce an exciting programme of events to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day on the theme ‘Each for Equal’ (#EachforEqual). International Women’s Day on 8 March celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and is a collective day of global celebration and a call for gender equality. GMIT is marking this special day with a series of event running from 4 to 12 March in all campuses. 

Highlights include public talks, presentations, seminars and workshops delivered by GMIT lecturers and special guests including journalists, a TD and leaders/academics from other higher education institutes.

The series kicks off on Wednesday, 4 March, with a lunchtime research symposium in the GMIT Mayo campus from 12.30 to 2pm; six 15-minute presentations will be given on contemporary and historical themes or figures relating to gender and equality.  The presentations will be delivered by lecturers/academics in the Mayo campus in a forum chaired by GMIT’s Dr Deirdre Garvey.

An art exhibition titled ‘Status Mentis’ will be formally opened at 2pm on campus.  The works explore the history of the Mayo campus building as a former psychiatric hospital and reflect on the memories contained with the building. 

On Friday, 6 March (12-1pm) at the Galway campus, a Lunch & Learn seminar on women’s health and nutrition seminar by Dr Paula Conroy and Ross Corbett, lecturers in the GMIT Dept of Natural Sciences, will share expert advice on how to optimise health and the physical, social and psychological benefits of movement and exercise.

On Monday, 9 March (1-2pm), Sinn Fein TD Rose Conway-Walsh will give a talk on ‘Women in Politics’ in Room POO2, Mayo campus, while at the Galway campus (12-1pm) Professor Anne Scott, Head of Diversity at NUI Galway, will speak about ‘The evolving Equality, Diversity & Inclusion agenda at NUI Galway.’

Also on Monday, 9 March, at 2pm in the Galway campus, broadcaster and journalist Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh will recount her experience of sports reporting in an engaging session titled ‘From the Aviva to Croke Park, The untold stories of sports reporting’.

The Galway International Hotel School is also hosting a series of events on Monday, 9 March, at the Galway campus. Jacinta Dalton Head of Dept, together with food writer Dr Sally McKenna, will co-host a networking event for women in the food and hospitality sectors. The event will consist of lively panel discussions with food writers, artisans, farmers and chefs, all designed to showcase to students the array of occupational opportunities in the sector for women, in a fun environment. There will also be a session on wellness for women in the sector presented by former broadcaster and hotelier Bibi Baskin.   

Also on Monday, 9 March, in GMIT’s Letterfrack campus, the National Centre for Excellence in Furniture Design and Technology, Dr Marion McGarry will discuss ‘The career of Irish furniture designer Eileen Gray (1878-1976)’, at a lecture in the campus library.

The final event, on Thursday, 12 March, (1-2pm, library training room), is a guest lecture by Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley, lecturer at NUI Galway and President of the Women’s History Association of Ireland (WHAI), entitled ‘Who we remember – the Tuam Mother and Baby Home, commemoration and historical justice’.

All events are open to the public, except the Women in Food networking event on 9 March and the Lunch & Learn event on 6 March.

Mary Nestor, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at GMIT, says: “We are excited to hold such a broad range of events to mark this important day where the achievements of women are celebrated and given the recognition they deserve.  The IWD events at GMIT are open to the public and aim to celebrate women’s contribution to society in a positive and affirmative way.”

ENDS

Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT are working towards becoming a Technological University for the west and northwest of Ireland.

Issued by Regina Daly, GMIT Communications & Press Officer, Dublin Road, Galway.
Tel 091 742826/0879618455 (m) regina.daly@gmit.ie
www.gmit.ie/news