Thirty-six students from the Peace and Justice group in Loreto Secondary School Bray, in conjunction with 80:20 Educating and Acting for a Better World, launched a poster art series on March 8th, 2019 on International Women’s Day on the themes of women’s rights and ‘on this day’ historical events.
A central idea to the posters by the students and project team, on exhibition at the launch event in Bray Library in Bray, Co. Wicklow, spoke in celebration to past achievements in the women’s rights movement and in protest when comparing them to similar and ongoing daily struggles experienced in the lives of women and girls in today’s world.
Actions, not words; four stealth bombers greater than or equal to the annual cost of ending maternal mortality?; the gender pay gap; education and ‘the girl effect’ – a sample of some of the most important issues for girls and women raised by the group in the poster work discussions and exercises.
In developing the Use Your Art to End Gender Inequality posters the Peace and Justice group marked the centenary year of suffrage activities and commemorations as reference points for young people, particularly girls, to learn about and be inspired to act on women’s rights (and wrongs); as a reminder of and a tribute to the power of posters historically in generating conversations and interest in women’s issues and as a mirror to highlight examples of gender discrimination and violence women face every day in public life, in the labour market and at home.
Participants have been involved in a range of cluster group activities over a 17 month period, including:
- Exploring (1) centenary of women’s franchise events and debates, (2) global trends and realities of violence encountered by women every day, including the #MeToo movement, (3) a series of key international standards such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with international development targets to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity, and (4) selected case studies, such as the Rohingya crisis, through a gender lens.
- Reviewing artwork from previous women’s rights poster campaigns over the last 100 years
- Meeting the chair of the Vótáil 100 committee to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage in Ireland, Senator Ivana Bacik, and visiting an exhibition on women’s suffrage in the Seanad ante-room
- Hands-on poster art making workshops and action-research ideas
- Forging links, conducting visits and sharing peer learning across an informal network amongst teachers and students in Bray.
Download the posters
- Poster 1: Women’s Tax
- Poster 2: We Can Do It
- Poster 3: Still I Rise
- Poster 4: Greater Than or Equal To?
Posters are made available for non-commercial use. For republishing, media and print queries, get in touch.
See the press release on the launch event.
Background data
Poster 1: Women’s Tax
- Globally, women are paid 37% less than men for similar work. In Ireland, women are paid 30% less than men for similar work. In South Africa, 45% less. In Brazil, 48% less. Source: Global Gender Gap Report 2017, World Economic Forum
Poster 2: We Can Do It
- The Girl Effect – video and article on The Guardian (2011) by Jennifer Begg in the Teacher Network
- Vótáil 100 (100th anniversary of the parliamentary vote for women in Ireland) activities, infographics and events. Source: Vótáil 100 Commemoration Committee
- Source: Missed opportunities: the high cost of not educating girls, (2018) World Bank
- Source: Gender Education Monitoring Report Gender Review 2018, (2018) by UNESCO
Poster 3: And Still I Rise
- Still I Rise – poem by Maya Angelou
- Facts and figures relating to the prevalence and global footprint of violence against women in all its forms (physical, psychological, economic, social and political) Source: UN Women
- “Gender-based violence (GBV) or violence against women and girls (VAWG), is a global pandemic that affects 1 in 3 women in their lifetime.” Source: World Bank
Poster 4: Greater Than Or Equal To?
- Every day, 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth around the world. Globally, that amounted to about 303,000 women in 2015. Source: UN Women
- Financing transformative health systems towards achievement of the health Sustainable Development Goals: a model for projected resource needs in 67 low-income and middle-income countries (July 17, 2017). Source: The Lancet
- Air Force B-21 Raider Long-Range Strike Bomber (October 12, 2018). Source: US Congressional Research Service
Other notes
Free copies of the A3 posters are available by request. Contact info@8020.ie- Research data and Use Your Art to End Gender Inequality education and poster project details will be available shortly.
- The Peace and Justice group in Loreto Secondary School Bray is a voluntary student-led group of mixed age range of students from 13-18 years old which raises awareness of justice issues both at home in Ireland and abroad. More info: loretobray.om/peace-and-justice
- International Women’s Day is the annual international UN designated day to celebrate the historical, cultural and political achievements of women and to champion the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality.
Project leaders: Tony Daly, Ciara Regan and Linda Quigley.
About Let’s Talk
Let’s Talk is an education and action project which involves young people discussing, debating and taking action on issues of conflict, peace, reconciliation, climate change, sustainable development and justice in Ireland and beyond.
The project has been running for over 20 years, co-ordinated by 80:20 Educating and Acting for a Better World.
Let’s Talk is supported by
Page updated: March 8th, 2019