The Rally
We are back marching the streets of Belfast, Let’s make this year our biggest yet! Come join the community in fighting back for women’s rights on Saturday, March 4th at Writer’s Square, meet at 11 am to march to City Hall for speeches at 12.30
After the rally, we will be marching down Royal Avenue to enjoy refreshments and entertainment at 2 Royal Avenue. Everyone is welcome.
About the theme:
This year’s theme “Stand Up - Fight Back!” is a call to action! We’ve had enough, the cost of living crisis has a more severe impact on women, working classses, queers and minorities. We’re calling on you to join us in showing our government and society that we’re going to fight back against oppression and austerity.
Information & Route
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Gather at Writers Square from 11 am to unfurl your banners, meet up with others, and get the excitement building with music and drumming as we get ready to march!
11:45 am - We will begin to form up for the march, Reclaim the Agenda Stewards in viz vests and purple arm bands can direct your group to the correct area. The parade order is as follows:
Speakers
Women’s Centers lead by Windsor Women’s Centre
Drummers
Reclaim the Agenda Member groups
Youth Groups
Community Groups
Trade Unions
Political Parties
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12 noon - We march! We will march through the city center, from Writers Square up Royal Avenue to City Hall. Expect chanting and drumming!
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Our speakers will take to the stage outside city hall. Compared by Gemma Hutton we will hear from:
Chloe Moreland - Youth Action
Joanne Sansome - Disability Activist
Sarah Mason - Women’s Aid Federation
Mabel Chah - Community Activist
Emma Mc Cann & Caoimhe Kinghan - former Regina Coeli hostel workers
Christiana Olujomoye - Anaka Women’s Collective
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After the speakers, we will march back down to 2 Royal Avenue where there will be dancing, music, story time, and refreshments from 1.30 pm
Yalla will have complimentary tea & coffee. Food not Bombs will have food samples. Bottled water will be freely available to all.
1.20pm Your Body- Your Voice with Mayte Ruiz Cala
2pm Feile Women’s Choir
2pm Switch - Environmental clothes swap (ticket event)
2pm Story time with HereNI
2.30pm Set Dancing with Alexa
3.30pm Closing
Stalls
Women’s Aid Federation
Equality Commission NI
There will be a notice board and general information stall for all events.
As part of book week, No Alibis have a number of free children's books located to the right at the entrance.
FAQ’s
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At the rally expect to find cross-community and intersectional feminist groups, LGBTQIA* groups, Community allies, and Trade Unions coming together to support gender equality. Expect to feel deep solidarity, a sense of community and belonging and a lot of energy to make change happen.
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Organisational and party banners are welcome, we ask that placards are in line with Reclaim the Agenda’s 6 Key Aims below. We appreciate groups registering their attendance in advance via this link.
1. To live free from poverty
2. To live free from discrimination
3. To have healthcare services that meet our particular needs
4. To live our lives free from domestic and sexual violence and abuse
5. To live in a society where women are equally represented as decision makers
6. To have access to good, affordable, and flexible childcare provision -
We will have a BSL interpreter for all our speakers at City Hall.
The march route should be accessible by wheelchair, we will be using the road which may be uneven in parts. If are unable to participate in the full route, please feel free to join us for the speakers at City Hall.
The Acessoloo Changing Places toilet will be at 2 Royal Avenue.
There will be chanting and drumming along the route.
Speaker Announcements
Christiana Olujomoye from Anaka Women’s Collective
Christiana is a professional accountant from Nigeria who spent 18 years working in Banking Industry and is a mother of 2 children. Circumstances in Nigeria changed in 2018 and it became dangerous and untenable to stay and she had to flee the country in October 2018 to protect her family. Christiana has volunteered over the years, with Marie Curie, Bradbury Hub foodbank and other groups but is now a member of Anaka Women’s Collective and volunteers with PPR on the ‘Lift the Ban’ project.
Sarah Mason, Chief Executive Officer, Women’s Aid Federation NI
Sarah is the Chief Executive Officer for Women’s Aid Federation NI (WAFNI). She has worked with Women’s Aid since January 1993, initially as Finance Manager. In 2008 she took over the role of managing the Regional Training in conjunction with managing the finances and coordinating the regional financial picture across Women’s Aid.
In her current role Sarah works closely with the CEOs of all 8 Women’s Aid groups across NI to promote collaboration and progressive development. Sarah manages the team at WAFNI and along with the Board of Directors and local group CEOs sets the strategic direction for the organisation. She is responsible for taking forward the Women’s Aid Strategy - Unlocking Potential – Building on Success (2022-2025).
Emma McCann and Caoimhe Kinghan
Emma McCann and Caoimhe Kinghan, both worked in the only women’s hostel in NI that supported women who were at the most vulnerable time in their lives. The hostel closed in 2021 but not without a strong fight from the workers who knew how important the hostel was to the women. They fought hard to keep the hostel open and after months of protest they were given assurances from Government that a new service would be put in place. It was these women who have helped hundreds of women and their families through the darkest days, providing security and support, and we are delighted they will be speaking at the rally.
Joanne Sansome
Joanne Sansome is a published author, researcher and activist with a physical disability from Belfast, Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland and on a broader U.K./European basis, Joanne has worked with government and non-governmental organisations, with universities, and within organisations of disabled people to create awareness of and further the understanding of disability rights.
In Northern Ireland, Joanne has significantly shaped the concept, research and delivery of service user and carer involvement within social work education and is an active member of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (SCC) Participation Group and in the past was in the Rights, Empowerment Action & Lobbying (REAL Disability Network, the Disability Research of Independent Living and Learning (DRILL) National Advisory group of Northern Ireland.
Chloe Moreland
Chloe works with Youth action as their Administrative and Finance assistant and is also doing a tutoring program to enable me to teach dance and drama to young people. “Women's rights for me means freedom and independence. I grew up with my older sister who is one of the strongest people I know and she taught me to never be put down by the stereotypes thrown at women. All I want in this world is for everyone to be happy for one another instead of focusing on things like gender, sexual orientation and race because at the end of the day, we are all human beings and belong on this earth.”
Mabel Chah
Mabel Chah, from Sligo Ireland, is originally from Cameroon. Mable moved to Northern Ireland in 2020 and completed a Masters degree in Human Resources Management at Queens University Belfast. In addition to being a singer songwriter, she currently lives with her husband and step daughter in Portadown.
Check out IWD 2022 in the video above!
We acknowledge support from Belfast City Council, UNISON, NIPSA, UCU the Equality Commission NI, the communication workers union and Unite. The support from these organisations is highly valued, and allows us to continue to strive for equality.