Distinguished panel of speakers lined up for Esker House event
Esker House Domestic Abuse Support Service has lined up four distinguished speakers for its annual International Women's Day get-together next month, including Midlands-North West MEP Maria Walsh, who will open the event and share her insights on the impact of gender-based violence.
The local event takes place on International Women's Day, Saturday, March 8 next in the Sheraton Hotel and gets underway at 3pm.
MEP Maria Walsh will be joined on the panel of speakers by Sarah Gillespie, CEO & Founder of Rinka, Loretta Dignam, Founder of Menopause Hub, and Tara Rafter, a certified life coach and master Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, also known as The Navigation Coach.
Sara Gillespie will inspire the audience with her experience as a successful woman in business, the challenges and triumph of pushing for your dreams.
Loretta Dignam will share her work and passion to de-stigmatise menopause and give guidance on how to speak, recognise and support yourself through the stages of menopause, and
Tara Rafter, will bring people on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Tara's contributions will be aimed at helping individuals navigate their personal and professional lives with greater ease and fulfilment.
The aim of hosting events to mark International Women's Day is to bring women together “to empower and connect” according to Head of Services at Esker House Deirdre Berry. “It is an exciting opportunity to come together and celebrate women and our contributions to our families, workplaces, and community,” she says.
Deirdre also points out that families, and particularly women, are often “juggling family life and work life, and sometimes it can get overwhelming.” She says that sharing these experiences with other women, and gaining support can give “a deep sense of understanding and self-compassion.”
The Esker House event is dedicated to empowering women and providing women with the opportunities to connect, learn and develop resilience to thrive and reach their full potential, according to Deirdre Berry.
The speakers at the International Women's Day event in the Sheraton Hotel will be followed by a meal and a DJ to bring the celebrations into the evening.
This event is part of the mission of Esker House to build a community that is aware and responsive to domestic abuse and gender-based violence.
The purple Hand campaign, launched by Esker House last year has trained over 45 local organisations and over 250 individuals to be purple hand champions, with the campaign designed to create safe spaces to seek help and information. The display of the purple hand in a window or on an individual who is wearing the badge signifies that they are trained to recognise, respond, and refer to specialised domestic abuse support services like Esker House.
Kelsey Tobin, Training and Community Engagement Officer with Esker House, describes the Purple Hand campaign as “very impactful” as it not only informs and empowers people to intervene and help but it also “sends a message that that hotel, sports club, hairdresser or pharmacy is an ally and a partner to end gender-based violence.”
Deirdre Berry says the upcoming International Women's Day event in Athlone has received a “tremendous amount of support and sponsorship” from local businesses, with fantastic spot prizes on offer at the event and she thanked the many sponsors who have come on board. The cost of the event is €50pp, and tickets can be purchased on www.eventbrite.ie
If anyone would like to know more about this event or the Purple Hand Campaign, you can email eskerproject@eskerhouse.ie
If anyone would like to reach out for support regarding domestic abuse, for themselves or a loved one Esker House have a 24hr free phone Helpline 1800662288 or landline 0906474122