AN ORGANISATION that hopes to make feminism more relevant to a new generation was officially established last night.
The Irish Feminist Network aims to promote gender equality and make feminism accessible.
The network was started last May by masters students at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies in Trinity College Dublin.
“We were becoming more and more aware of the inequalities and the regression of women’s role,” said spokeswoman Madeline Hawke, referring to a lack of representation of women in politics; budget cuts affecting women; and statistics showing women earn less than men.
The network wants to have a mainstream appeal to a broad range of young women as well as the established older feminists.
“We want to destigmatise feminism and draw new women who are not self-identified feminists and who never thought about getting involved,” said Ms Hawke.
The five aims of the network are: reclaiming feminism as a voice for change, involving young women in the movement, raising awareness, building alliances and increasing women’s political and media representation .
The committee includes former women’s studies students Ursula Hughes, Dolores Gibbon and Madeline Hawke as well as former Union of Students in Ireland equality officer Linda Kelly and Amanda King from Shannon.
“Hundreds of young women have been writing to us saying that they were happy to get involved,” Ms Hawke said. The group has some 800 Facebook supporters and 100 people, mainly women, attended last night’s meeting.
This breaks down the myth that young women do not want to be labelled feminists, Ms Hawke said. “Women have been realising that sexism still exists.”
Susan McKay of the National Women’s Council told the meeting it was “disturbing that the invisibility of women was no longer noticed”.
Labour senator Ivana Bacik said that the Dáil would not be any less male after the next election “unless we push for change”.
The group is planning to hold a wide range of cultural and activist events to make feminism accessible.
For more details, see: www.facebook.com/irishfemnetwork.
