Events

The 2025 Annual Conference hosted by Kerry Women’s Centre (KWC), in partnership with NEWKD, was Ireland’s only community-based, volunteer-led conference held during the UN 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Now the longest-running conference of its kind in Ireland (established 2013), the event brought together 120 in-person attendees, alongside international online participants, to strengthen coordinated responses to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV).

Set against national and European data highlighting the scale of violence against women, including findings from the European Institute for Gender Equality and Ireland’s Central Statistics Office showing significant prevalence of intimate partner and sexual violence, the conference had several key aims. Firstly, to raise awareness of DSGBV and its root causes, promote survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches, strengthen multi-agency collaboration, support implementation of Ireland’s Third National Strategy on DSGBV, develop measurable, action-oriented local commitments, and finally to build capacity among volunteers and community leaders.

The 2025 theme, “Let’s Make Our Towns Safe for Women and Girls,” placed particular emphasis on public safety, youth engagement, prevention, and local accountability in Kerry.

The conference convened a broad cross-section of stakeholders including survivors, advocacy groups, NGOs, healthcare professionals, educators, An Garda Síochána, local political representatives, and community leaders.
A strong media campaign, including local radio engagement, expanded community awareness prior to the event and stimulated county-wide dialogue around gender-based violence and safe spaces for women and girls.
Valuable feedback elicited and analysed will inform the next steps towards implementing the many excellent actions which came from the conference.