International Women's Day Conference 2008

DUGES saw in International Women’s Day with a conference in the Emmet Theatre dedicated to the issue of ‘Women in the Workplace’. Chaired by academic Maryann Valiulis, guests included Kimberly Prost, Ad Litem Judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia; Alison Smale, Managing Editor of the International Herald Tribune, and Maeve Kyle, former Irish Olympic Athlete and Hockey Player.

Topics raised included gender politics, sexual harassment and the pros and cons of positive discrimination in the workplace. It became clear that while the event celebrated advancements made for working women, there were further improvements to be made.

Kimberly Prost pointed out the lack of females appointed at the highest levels in various professions, while Alison Smale noted the difficulties involved in being a working mother. Maeve Kyle recounted her experiences of being an Olympic athlete in the face of public disapproval from the Catholic Church of 1960s Ireland. However, Prost’s extensive UN experience, Smale’s first-hand account of the fall of the Berlin Wall and Kyle’s far-reaching athletic achievements highlighted just how far working women have come.

After a screening of feminist documentary Rosie the Riveter [1980], the day drew to a close at the Westin hotel, where DUGES held a reception in honour of their guests.