Black Sisters Network launched in Navan

The Sherroes Global Iniaitve, whih was founded by Navan's Cllr Yemi Adenuga celebrated Black History Month with the launch of Black Irish Sisters (BIS) Network.

The non-profit, which works to inspire, empower and impact women and young people launched ithe Black Irish Sister’s (BIS) network at thhe Solstice Arts Centre recently.

Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Ijeoma Obiezu, who launched the network, shared some history of black women who have made impact globally and expressed her delight at witnessing the coming together of Black women in Ireland with the united goal of working together to deal with their collective challenges.

In her encouraging speech to the women she said, “Ireland is your home, get involved, do not be an observer, do not bury your potentials, use your skills and expertise to make a difference, give back to the society and make Ireland a better place for you and your children”.

The network aims to provide a safe space for Black Irish women to come together in unity, to empower, support and celebrate one another, and use their expertise to address issues faces by black people in ireland, driving positive change in the country.

According to the founder of Sheroes Global and Black Irish Sisters (BIS) Network, Cllr Adenuga, “the challenges black people face in Ireland are systemic, and in order to tackle them, it is important that we recognise and value our various strengths, experiences and expertise, and use those to collectively advocate for the positive change we want to see in ireland, through engagements with decision making stakeholders, offering practical and realistic solutions and recognising the critical need for a co-designed, co-created, strategic and solution-oriented approach to tackling these issues.

Cllr Adenuga added “Women are by nature very resourceful and solution-oriented, hence the reason BIack Irish women want to work together to help make Ireland better for everyone. The BIS Network will unify black women in Ireland with the aim to motivate Black Irish women to find, use and amplify their voices for positive change, empower and support one another, encourage the sharing of experiences for learning, celebrate excellence amongst Black Irish Sisters and foster unity to achieve positive results”.

According to the 2022 Census of Population, 67,546 people identify as Black or Black Irish with an African background, and 8,699 people claim to have descended from any other Black background. One in three of these , (22,331 persons) were born in Ireland, as were 2,126 with other Black backgrounds.

"Black people, who make up 1.5 per cent of the population, deal with various discriminatory and racially motivated issues on a regular basis, at work, in school and even on the streets, and black women have decided to come together to unite to collectively find lasting solutions to these challenges, said Cllr Adenuga.

"The Black Irish Sisters (BIS) Network is the first of its kind in Ireland and is open to all Black Irish women who seek unity, positive change, and align with the goal of building a safe space for Black Irish Women to empower and support one another, work in unity, and thrive. This will be achieved through the monthly programs which will focus on strategically addressing issues that have been identified by the women, said Cllr Adenuga.