Sinn Féin leader addresses Athlone party conference

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald has vowed that any government she leads will strive to “create an Ireland where every woman is free to live safely in pursuit of her ambition and potential.”

The party leader provided the closing remarks at Sinn Féin’s National Women’s Conference in Athlone‘s Sheraton Athlone Hotel on Saturday.

“We've heard from incredible activists today, and I respect your work so deeply.

“You are demonstrable evidence of what can be achieved with tenacity, with energy and with a resilience that all of us now also have to demonstrate as political activists,” she said.

The conference was chaired by Longford/Westmeath TD Sorca Clarke, who is the party spokesperson on Education, with opening remarks by Deputy Rose Conway Walsh, while Deputy Kathleen Funchion facilitated panel discussions.

The theme of the event was ‘Inclusive advocacy, delivering safe refuges and preventing abuse and sexual violence’.

Contributors were present from Safe Ireland, Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service, National Women's Council, Esker House Women's Refuge and Domestic Abuse Support Service, AkiDwA and the Rape Crisis Network

Opening the conference, Deputy Clarke welcomed attendees from across the island to her constituency.

“Today's conference is all about creating a space for learning about important projects and services in the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence sector,” she said.

"Today we will hear what modern, fully resourced, supported and safe accommodation/refuge provision should look like, and critically, how it can and must be delivered."

Addressing a panel discussion, Dr Salome Mbugua, CEO of AkiDwA, said: "We can't keep reacting to incidents after they have happened. We can't keep on losing women.

"We can't keep on allowing this to happen. We have to walk the talk of the zero tolerance on preventing abuse and sexual violence against women."

The conference was told by Sharon O’Halloran, former CEO of Safe Ireland that 60% of affected women do not access domestic violence services and the reasons why are not understood.

"We may not be able to change what happens in the home but we can change the communities in which the home is situated.

"We need to provide direct funding to women for what they identify as what they need, and ensure their journey is from one of violence to freedom."