Dr Marilyn Waring, one of the world’s foremost critics of mainstream economic policies, is in Belfast this week to discuss how governments need to be more inclusive in tackling the global financial crisis.
The renowned New Zealand born politician, author and academic will lead a public discussion on the impact of the recession on the lives of women at the BBC’s Blackstaff House on Thursday.
Her argument is that governments need to find new economic policies that measure and value the daily, unpaid work carried out by millions of women throughout the world.
An Evening with Marilyn Waring has been organised by the Women’s Resource and Development Agency (WRDA) and the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.
Lynn Carvill of the WRDA said the event would have a lot to say to politicians in Northern Ireland about how to prevent women becoming further victims of public spending cuts.
“Dr Waring will be saying there are different ways of dealing with the recession. Women are written out of economic policy throughout the world and the same is happening in Northern Ireland.
“For example in the Assembly’s Budget they set aside £12m to implement their childcare strategy but in the Programme for Government it has been reduced to £9m. This is symptomatic of the refusal to recognise the impact of public expenditure cuts and deficit reduction on women.”
The event is from 6-8pm and will be led by Dr Avila Kilmurray, Director of the Community Foundation for NI and will feature former East Belfast MLA Dawn Purvis.
Dr Kilmurray said: “The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland is delighted to welcome Marilyn Waring to Northern Ireland. It is important that many different perspectives are brought to bear on our current economic challenges and Marilyn’s voice is one that frames the questions that we need to ask in a very different manner from many contemporary economic commentators. We particularly welcome her attention to the position of women and groups in the margins of society”.
Dr Waring will also deliver a keynote address entitled: ‘Global Economics: a place for women’ at the Women’s Aid AGM on Friday.
