Council defends decision to have male keynote speaker for International Women’s Day event after councillors call move 'baffling'

On Thursday the council issued details of the event, which takes place on Friday, March 8, on their social media and announced that personal brand consultant and motivational speaker Billy Dixon would be the keynote speaker.

Other speakers at the £36-per-ticket event include include Sarah Jane Campbell from The Well - a community wellness hub that provides a range of services to support mental health and emotional wellbeing in the Mourne area; Niamh Quinn, founder of the charity Advocacy VSV, which advocates on behalf of and supporting victims of sexual violence through each stage of the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice System and Daria Yakovenko who sought refuge in Northern Ireland with her ill daughter after the break out of the Ukrainian war. Each will share their journey and experiences, giving insights into how they have been able to #InspireInclusion in their professional and personal lives.

Radio and TV personality Lynette Fay will compere the event.

According to the council social media post: “Described as one of Europe’s leading authorities and commentators on personal projection, communication and team dynamics, Billy has earned the reputation as a leader in personal marketing, coaching and image consultancy.“He works extensively in political, sporting, private and public sectors throughout Europe, America and Canada and his clients include many blue chip companies, several premiership clubs as well as three national leaders.”

The decision to have a male as the keynote speaker was described as “baffling” by two SDLP councillors, who called for what they called the lack of female representation for the keynote address to be rectified.

Mournes councillor, Laura Devlin said, “The point of International Women’s Day is to highlight women’s issues including gender equity, women’s healthcare, addressing gender based violence and much more.

"The best way to do this is through hearing women’s voices and listening to their experiences.

"The decision taken to exclude female representation from the keynote address at Council’s Chairperson’s International Women’s Day event is just baffling.

"Not only this but it sends a concerning message to women and girls across the district who have a story worth hearing. At the outset we need to know who made this decision, and how this wrong can be put right. Our team is now making these representations to the Council CEO and Chairperson.”

Newry councillor, Doire Finn, added: “As a first term Councillor and a young woman it is incredibly disappointing that Council took this approach.

"In approaching this conference we certainly would not want to exclude Billy Dixon from a discussion panel, but excluding women from the keynote address is not acceptable.

"Our Council team have been contacted by a significant number of people already about this who are just so disappointed in the Council's decision.

"The theme of IWD 2024 is meant to be about Investing in Women: Accelerating Progress. There are many women across our district who could have offered an incredible address on this, and sadly, they have been excluded.

"If the Council is serious about investing in women, then they need to sort this out before the Chairperson’s event next week.”

But this morning, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council defended it’s position, saying the decision to have Mr Dixon as the keynote speaker “emphasises our commitment to inclusivity”.

In a statement they said: “The theme of our International Women’s Day event this year is ‘Inspire Inclusion’.

“After careful consideration of potential speakers, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council was delighted to announce that Billy Dixon, an internationally renowned motivational speaker and brand consultant, had accepted our invitation to be one of our speakers at our International Women’s Day event. Together with our ‘Influential Voices’ - Lynette Fay, Sarah Jane Campbell, Niamh Quinn and Daria Yakovenko who will also be speaking at this sell-out event – we look forward to an inspiring International Women’s Day.

“Whilst we understand that some members of our community may have initial concerns or questions about the choice of Mr Dixon, we believe that this decision aligns with our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment.

“Mr Dixon has consistently delivered compelling and insightful presentations that have captivated audiences by his content and delivery of his message, and we recognised the potential to resonate with a diverse audience and contribute meaningfully to the theme of Inspire Inclusion.

“Our goal for this International Women's Day Conference is to foster an environment where minds and hearts are open to embracing everyone as equals. The decision to invite a male speaker emphasises our commitment to inclusivity, encouraging a collective understanding that gender should not be a barrier to shared inspiration and empowerment.”