News

On July 1st -2nd, The Centre for Global Women’s Studies and The Mary Robinson Centre co-hosted a major International Symposium to discuss ways and means to advance implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on gender equality and human rights provisions.   The event, held in Ballina, featured keynote presentations by international and national experts including: former President of Ireland Mary Robinson; former head of UNIFEM, Noeleen Heyzer; Paul Gillespie of The Irish Times; Sorley McCaughey of Christian Aid Ireland; Professor Diane Elson of the University of Essex; Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Gender Envoy for The African Development Bank; Heather Grady, Vice President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, San Francisco USA; and Monica McWilliams, Professor of Women’s Studies, University of Ulster. The Symposium, attended by an international audience of about 150 delegates has helped to facilitate new connections between like-minded groups so that they can learn from and support each other in moving forward with efforts to implement the SDGs. The event connected NGOs, development practitioners and policy researchers, underlining the importance of linking research to activism. It was a valuable opportunity for the students and staff of Global Women’s Studies and NUI Galway more generally to engage directly in a formative international dialogue on this current and pressing issue. 

 ‌