The Workers’ Party is holding a number of events in Dublin to mark International Women’s Day (Sunday, March 8th).
The main event, organised by the Dublin Region of the Workers’ Party will begin with a gathering at Grattan Bridge (Capel Street) at 1pm on Sunday – see below for full details
International Women’s Day is an important event in the Workers’ Party calendar.
While it is a day to celebrate the achievements gained in the struggle for female emancipation the Workers’ Party believes that it is also a day which brings sharply into focus the battles which have still to be fought and won, both in Ireland and internationally, to gain equality for women
As national plans get under way for the centenary commemoration of the 1916 Rising, the Workers’ Party believes it is important to highlight the way in which the State came into being, how it evolved, and what it is today. This will involve both reflection on the key role that women have played in the struggle for democracy, equality and dignity and on how the State has treated women.
While our purpose is to highlight the fact that throughout history scant recognition has been afforded to the role that women have played in different aspects of the political, economic and social development of this country, we want to emphasize the context which brought those women to the fore.
Inspired by the success of the campaign to name the newest Liffey bridge after the workers’ rights activist Rosie Hackett, the Workers’ Party considers it fitting that its International Women’s Day celebratory events will this year centre around the renaming of bridges in Dublin and other major cities to reflect the struggles of women in Ireland over the past hundred years.
With this end in view the Workers’ Party has invited representatives from the trade union movement and campaign groups to perform a renaming ceremony at each of four bridges over the River Liffey on Sunday 8th March, International Women’s Day. People are invited to gather at the Grattan Bridge (Capel Street) at 1pm, where a symbolic renaming of the bridge as ‘The Kathleen Lynn Bridge’ will take place.
The group will then walk along the northern bank of the river in the direction of the Rosie Hackett Bridge, stopping on the way at the Millennium Bridge, which will be renamed the ‘The Bennett-Moloney Bridge’.
The next stop will be the O’Connell Street Bridge, which will be renamed after Elizabeth O’Farrell.
People will then proceed to Butt Bridge where the bridge will be renamed ‘The Bridge of Choice’. This name challenges the paternalistic attitude that has prevailed since the foundation of the state whereby women are regarded as second class citizens incapable of making decisions in relation to the control of their own bodies including their fertility and to pursue reproductive choices.
The renaming event will loop back and conclude at the Rosie Hackett Bridge where a short address will deal with issues in relation to the present gender recognition bill and will outline the reasons why it is imperative to ensure a yes vote in the Marriage Equality Referendum.
Afterwards, people will adjourn to a nearby pub where there will be music and guest speakers on campaigns past and present.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Meanwhile in Cork on Saturday, 7th March, in advance of International Women’s Day, the Workers’ Party will be holding a symbolic renaming of the Bishop Lucey Park in Grand Parade from 4.00 to 5.00pm during which the park will be “renamed” as Mother Jones Park in honour of Cork born social and political agitator Mary Harris Jones (1837-1930). Mother Jones was a founding member of the Socialist Party of America which organised a Women’s Day in New York in 1909 which is widely recognised as a precursor to the first official International Women’s Day which was held two years later.