Last 9th of June, the Annual General Meeting of the National Women’s Council (NWC) (*) took place in Dublin. In the meeting there were representatives of a lot of its members, including the YWCA.
I had the opportunity to join Katherine, the YWCA’s treasurer, in the meeting. When I first arrived at the meeting I was nervous because it was the first time that I had the chance to participate in an activity like this one. However, Katherine explained the process and how it was going to work throughout the day.
The day started with a seminar provided by UCD’s Associate Professor Emeritus Ursula Barry(**) about which strategies could be followed to ensure a more inclusive and feminist Model of Care. Complementing this topic, three women shared their experiences in the care sector. As I listened to the experiences of Miriaam, Derval and Margaret, I remembered more situations, more women in my life that have had to resign to some aspect of their lives to take care of parents, siblings, kids or even partners. It allowed me to question why usually people in lower socioeconomic status are the ones in charge of care activities and how migrants are often in a vulnerable situation of doing these jobs at underpaid rates.
Following the conversation I had the opportunity to meet people from the organization of 221+ while having lunch. I learnt about their incredible job as a support group for women and their families that are affected by cervical cancer.
After the break we continued with the motions of the day and I could hear some amazing statements that hopefully will shorten the gender gaps in the society.
After the event ended, I walked home with a lot of questions in my head that I hurried to write in a notebook:
-How do the systems make men believe that their actions need to be seen as an economic good?
-How does the current system make us women vulnerable as exploited individuals?
Moreover than the questions I would like to end this blog with my two biggest fruits from the NWC experience:
-These forums are a very important space to gather women with different backgrounds to talk and participate in common decisions and discussions.
- The invitation to feel the world differently as a principle to action movements in society.
*NWC is an organization that looks after gender equality of women, focusing on shortening the gap between genders in different aspects of everyday life. A similar objective than the one pursued by the YWCA.
**Professor Ursula Barry is a feminist economist and specialises in gender, equality and public policy.