Session: Closing Keynote

Ailbhe Smyth

Ailbhe Smyth was the founding head of Women's and Gender Studies at University CoLllege Dublin where she lectured for many years and is a long-time feminist, LGBTIQ+  and socialist activist. She played a leading role in the Marriage Equality referendum in 2015 and was co-director of the abortion referendum campaign in 2018. Currently, she is Chair of Women’s Aid and also of Ballyfermot STAR Addiction services. She is a director of Age Action and of the Women’s Global Health Network Ireland, and Patron of the Women’s Collective Ireland (WCI). Among other campaigning activities, she is a founding member of Le Cheile: Diversity not Division, a cross-sectoral alliance challenging far right extremism. She was included in Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2019 and was also awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin. Recently, she was conferred with an honorary doctorate in laws by Galway University.