North Wales Conference
Tuesday 23^rd September 2008 at the Celtic Royal, Caernarfon

Wales Women's National Coalition held its first major conference in North Wales at the Celtic Royal Hotel in Caernarfon on 23^rd September 2008. The theme was Gender equality - Are we there yet…? and attracted a wide range of delegates representing the private and public sector, academia, voluntary sector organisations and business networks.

The conference was opened by Coalition Director, Emma Richards who set the scene for the day by outlining the three focus areas for WWNC – Women in Civil Society, Women and Poverty, and Ending Violence Against Women; discussing some of the issues facing women in today's society. This was followed by a lively and informative presentation by Shân Ashton from Bangor University who discussed gender mainstreaming and single equity ideas from a feminist perspective and gave theories on what is needed to ensure a more equitable future for all women in Wales. Tracey Lloyd Williams of Chwarae Teg then spoke about tackling all aspects of women's experiences in the world of work, including the barriers encountered by women who juggle having a family and a career, and the business benefits of enhancing women's economic participation. Finally, Rhian Connick of National Federation of Women's Institutes Wales spoke candidly about ending violence against women, informing the delegates of some sobering facts around the lack of provision for women victims of violence and abuse, and advocated that an integrated strategy is necessary, based on a human rights model, to make a real difference to the lives of abused women, who are some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

A series of discussion groups followed lunch where delegates discussed gender in the single equalities framework; how to encourage more women into public life and decision making roles; and the key issues for women in Wales. A full conference report will be available here shortly but for further details of the conference or to book your place to attend the South Wales Conference on 29th January 2009 please contact Suzy Barrett on 029 2047 8918 or via email.

International Women's Day 2008

Wales Women's National Coalition celebrated International Women's Day 2008 by calling for more women to consider senior and decision making roles, including entering public life in Wales. A well attended event at Cardiff City Hall, marked 80 years since women won the right to vote on equal terms with men and saw guest speakers from the world of politics, the trade union movement, business and academia gather together to highlight the achievements of women over the last century and consider those goals yet to be realised.

Celebrating The Heritage of Women in Wales was organised by Wales Women's National Coalition in partnership with Chwarae Teg and the Wales TUC, with sponsorship from the Welsh Assembly Government.

4 Nations Conference

Conference report 14^th June Cardiff (665 KB)

The 4 Nations Conference united experts, users, providers and interested parties from across the UK opening up a dialogue between all, capturing the plethora of information and practices there are in addressing gender equality. Each of the 4 national women's organisations empowers women and champions their concerns and interests across the board in the UK. The conference brought together the Women's Forum Northern Ireland, Engender from Scotland, Women's Voice/Llais Merched and the WNC.