Motion: International Women’s Day

International Women's Day has been celebrated on 8 March for 51 years. It promotes women's rights across the globe, raises awareness of the inequalities women face and celebrates women's many achievements. However, as we always need to stress, despite so much done there is so much more to do.

This year, again, we must raise the issues that women face as a continual barrier to their life in terms of family life, personal life, and work opportunities.

The issues include

Unequal pay, especially when it comes to carers, both paid and unpaid

Childcare issues, including the astronomical costs for parents, often leading to women unable to reach their full potential in the workplace, minimum wage for many childcare workers and the lack of government support

Period poverty, menopause issues and other women’s health issues

Domestic violence and sexual harassment, including online abuse

Discrimination especially to our black and migrant women both in the community and at work

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council therefore will continue to collaborate with agencies, community groups and others to help break down all these barriers

Write to the Minister of Health and the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) for an update on their plans to increase the number of paid carers in the community.

Write to the Minister for Communities and Minister of Health to ask what support can be given to the thousands of unpaid carers in our communities.

And also write to the Minister of Education for an update on the Childcare Strategy