A packed public meeting hosted by People Before Profit in Dublin on March 31st highlighted the determination of women to organise collectively against violence, healthcare neglect and inequality.
Chaired by Dublin Central by-election candidate Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, the event centred women activists connecting struggles often faced in isolation.
Linda O'Sullivan spoke powerfully about the reality behind rising gender-based violence. She highlighted gaps in refuge spaces, chronic underfunding of frontline services and the emotional toll on survivors navigating systems that frequently fail them. Her message stressed that violence against women is political, not inevitable, and that collective pressure and properly funded supports can save lives.
Jodi Maloney addressed the systemic neglect of women’s healthcare through the lens of endometriosis. She described years of dismissal, delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment, showing how patients are forced into exhausting individual battles. Organising together, she argued, is essential to win timely care, investment and dignity for those living with chronic conditions.
From the Equality in Education campaign, Charlotte Cahill highlighted families’ struggles to secure school places for children with special needs. She described parents pushed into stressful, lonely fights for basic educational rights and called for real investment to guarantee inclusive education for every child.
Camilla Fitzsimons drew the threads together, arguing for a bold socialist feminism that links healthcare, education and safety. Connecting campaigns, she said, transforms isolation into collective strength capable of winning real change.
The message leaving the room was clear and urgent: if you want to see real progress on women’s rights, don’t wait for it - organise for it. Get involved, get active and help build the movement fighting back for women’s liberation.