Trigger warning: This podcast episode includes reference to suicide.

This recording is from the All Island Women's Forum (AIWF) residential in November 2023. The Forum is made up of 40 women from across the island who come together to examine issues and areas of commonality North and South and identify key areas that can be addressed on an all-island basis. The AIWF is an inclusive space for women’s voices, including those often left out of the conversation from minority communities. On 2nd of November, the Forum members discussed the Cost-of-Living crisis.

On the panel we had:

Eilish Rooney, Transitional Justice Institute (TJI)

Belinda Nugent, Inner City Organisation Network (ICON)

Adele O'Connor, Doras Buí CLG

Dr Lisa Wilson, Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI)

Nuala Toman, Disability Action NI

The panel was moderated by Rachel Coyle, Head of Campaigns and Mobilisation at NWC.

This session was an opportunity to reflect on the economic inequality faced by women in Ireland and the many examples of fight back from women right across the women’s community and voluntary sector and in the trade union movement. It was used to create an understanding of the commonality of the effects of austerity measures, Brexit, loss of EU funding etc. for women and marginalised communities on this island and how this has directly impacted on the sectors work. This session was designed to provide an insight into the impact of both governments’ economic policies and the importance of women’s voices in economic decision-making spaces and gender budgeting. To explore not just the financial impact but the implications the crisis has had on morale, mental health, living standards in our communities and how we can support one another to amplify these experiences and hold policymakers to account.