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Do you know what Human Trafficking is? And would you be able to recognise its signs in your local community?

Mar19

A guide to the issue of Human Trafficking for Service Providers in Co.Donegal. Please click on the picture below to find out about what is Human Trafficking is and how as a community we can help end it.

human trafficThe booklet was compiled by the Human Trafficking Working Group, an interagency partnership with members representing organisations such as the HSE, An Garda Siochána, Letterkenny Women’s Centre, Donegal Domestic Violence Service, Donegal Sexual Abuse & Rape Crisis Centre, Nexus and National Collective of community-based Women’s Network-Donegal Women’s Network. To read more about the launch of this booklet please visit the HSE website.

“Human Trafficking Is A Form Of Slavery It Is Happening In Ireland. Let’s End It Now.

Be Vigilant, Call 1800 25 00 25 Or Email Blueblindfold@Garda.Ie Educate Yourself About This Crime.”

The National Anti-Human Trafficking Unit can be contacted by post, telephone, fax and e-mail:

Address: Anti-Human Trafficking Unit
Department of Justice and Equality
51 St. Stephen’s Green
Dublin 2
Phone: + 353 1 602-8878
Fax: + 353 1 602-8276
E-mail: ahtudivision@justice.ie

Call for expression of interest for a free “Eurowatchers” course

Mar18

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NCCWN-Donegal Women’s Network are looking for interested participants to signup for  a free course to help develop skills in money management. The “Eurowatchers” money advice programme has been developed by the VEC and MABS and the programme supports the development of budgeting skills and techniques, including ideas on curtailing spending, making some saving and best approaches to credit.

Eurowatchers is delivered over 6 weeks (2 hours per week).  While there are opportunities for discussion and sharing there is no obligation to discuss personal situations.  Case studies are provided and the course is delivered in a relaxed and enjoyable manner.  Content is as follows:

Week 1:    Setting the scene

Week 2:    Money go round

Week 3:    Budgeting

Week 4:    Paying bills

Week 5:    Savings

Week 6:    Credit trail

Start date is yet to be confirmed but the course will be run on Mondays 10am-12pm at the NCCWN-Donegal Women’s Network office. If you would like to secure a place please contact Róisín @ 074 9722790 or by email donwomnet@eircom.net

The 5050 North West Group Letter to Editor of Donegal Democrat

Mar10

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Dear Editor,

A number of representatives of the North West 5050 group attended the February County Council meeting in Lifford.  5050 is a single national advocacy group dedicated to achieving equal representation in Irish politics. We were welcomed by the Mayor and found the morning both informative and interesting.

However we came away disappointed at the ‘carry on’ of a number of Councillors and aghast that the business of the day can so easily be hijacked by individual posturing and aggressive behaviour.

As ‘Democracy’ was a much mentioned term within the chamber I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the following:

“Equality of representation between women and men is a pre-requisite to participative

democracy.  In its absence, the needs and priorities of one section of the population continue

to be ‘represented’ by another.”

[“Balances along the Border” Marie Crawley & Louise O Meara]

It is very disappointing we only have 6 female candidates selected to date for County Donegal in the Local Elections, with currently only 2 female candidates out of 29 in Donegal County Council.  According to Dr Adrian Kavanagh’s (Maynooth College) to date there are only 358 females selected or declared nationally (23.1 %),   so we have a long way to go to attain a participative democracy.

The question remains, what are the parties doing to encourage and support female candidates? Many parties have Equality Policies which look good on paper.  What obviously seems to be lacking is the will or the way to implement a fair deal for women.

Yours sincerely,

Finola Brennan,

5050 North West Group
NCCWN-Donegal Women’s Network
6 Tir Chonaill Street
Donegal Town
Co. Donegal
 
T:  074 9722790
E:  donwoment@eircom.net

A Local to Global International Women’s Day Celebration

Mar8

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In many of our lives women play significant roles, from being mothers, daughters, sisters, grannies, aunts and cousins, but also as role models, providers, leaders, workers, carers, inventors, the list is endless.

Every year on the 8th March, the world celebrates International Women’s Day, a dedicated day about supporting the roles and acknowledging the achievements of women. We also honour women on this day because it remains the sad fact that women across the world continue to experience challenges and inequalities simply because they are women. So we further take the opportunity to raise awareness and show support for women’s rights and equality.

This year NCCWN-Donegal Women’s Network in partnership with Change Makers Donegal honoured women by holding a series of workshops with women from across Donegal and discussed with them how women are making a difference locally and globally, while also looking at the issues effecting women.

After discussing these issues groups created a series of collages around themes of equality, the influence media has on youth women’s lives, body image, pressure of the media, women’s health, women in politics and equal pay. Groups later shared their collages with other women at our International Women’s Day Event on 4th March, where the women took the time to reflect on their work and the work of others while also honouring the women in their own lives.

Groups who participated included;
• Raphoe Women’s Group
• Time Out for You (Women with Disabilities)
• Planet Youth Young Women’s Group
• Ernedale Heights Women’s Group
• Pettigo & Tullyhommon Women’s Group

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To gain a global perspective we also collected a number of personal tributes from people around the world, with contributions from Indonesia, Libya, Nepal, Afghanistan and Belgium.

We asked people to pay tribute and show their support for the equality of all women by sending us their responses to the following questions;

  • Why women are important to you?
  • What are the roles women in your life play?
  • What are your aspirations for women locally or globally?

People provided thoughtful and touching responses which were then used to create individual posters as shown below;

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The aim of this outreach was to build a global community of support for women while also inspiring women to realise and embrace the important role they play in the world and the influence they have in communities. And while 8th March is only one day in a year that we openly celebrate women, we hope that this work will be an inspiring change for International Women’s Day and beyond.

Happy International Women’s Day 🙂