In 2018 as part of The Community Foundation for Ireland Impact Grants 2018 -Women's Fund – we committed €50,000 to support nine projects across the country with grants ranging from €3,000 to €10,000 that would address the issue of Sexual Harassment.
Established by The Community Foundation for Ireland in 2010, The Women’s Fund for Ireland is a long-term philanthropic fund. Its mission is to encourage philanthropy among women, to improve the lives of women and girls through social change grant making and to educate the entire community about the benefits to society when the potential of women is realised.
One of the recipients of this fund - Claremorris Family Resource Centre Ltd recently completed the project that they provided in their local community. They opened an exhibition in their local Town Hall this month showcasing art created by students of Mount St Michael Secondary as part of the programme of workshops on sexual health, relationships and consent.
The project is designed to provide young women with skills to negotiate safe and consensual sex. It aims to increase their self-esteem and capacity to assert themselves in circumstances that make them uncomfortable in relation to their sexual integrity. The project also hopes to work with young men and women together uses drama, music and art as a means of discussing and exploring themes, with the intention of supporting positive action and change.
It is envisaged that through the project young people will share learning and experience with the wider community by teaching sexual health and negotiation skills, developing/supporting autonomy and empowerment of young women, exploring inequality through art, music and drama with young males and females and in doing so will change attitudes among the local community.
It was coordinated by Nuala Gilligan of the Family Resource Centre, and facilitated by Grace McGee of Tacú in Ballinrobe with help from Chloe Horan McDonagh, a 3rd Year social care student. Community artist Lanna Heyrman worked with the students to create a visual representation of what they had learned, and what they wanted to communicate about it.
To learn more about the project you can listen to a report by Ed Coulson talking to those involved, including the students, on their experience of the project, and the art that emerged from it follow this link to mixcloud. To discover more about The Community Foundation for Ireland’s Women’s Fund click here .