Daniel Korolev | Contributing Writer
Monday marked the first day of International Women’s Week (IWW) with Trinity College having its launch event on the steps of the Exam Hall in Front Square.
International Women’s Day is on the 8th March and the events this week celebrate women’s rights and the steady march towards gender equality in society. Trinity College will be hosting a range of events this week, such as the Mulan film screening, Balancing academia and parenting and other workshops.
Senator Ivana Bacik was among the speakers at the TCD Women’s Week launch.The speakers gave their speeches in a front of an enthusiastic crowd all sporting their bright purple IWW t-shirts.
Both JS Genetics student Sheelan Yousefizadeh and Senator Bacik gave talks on different aspects of gender inequality. Yousefizadeh, who works with Amnesty International, spoke of her involvement with Muslim women facing serious inequality due to their gender. She went on to emphasise the need for change in order to end the horror inflicted on women living in the Far East.
Bacik focused on the lack of female representation in Irish politics, stating that what she sees in government is a group who are “male, stale and pale”. She also observed how Ireland is rapidly declining in its female involvement, noting that 84% of the government is male. However, she was determined to emphasise that it is up to the Irish people to “diversify” the country.
The launch was wrapped up with a photo shoot of the speakers and the audience, as they arranged themselves into the female gender symbol at the Campanile.
The events this week in Trinity College are open to the general public and all are welcome to get involved in a number of different workshops and discussions throughout the week.
Photo by Pavel Rozman
