IWD ‘WOMEN SHAPING NARRATIVES’ EVENT BELFAST CITY HALL FRIDAY MARCH 6
IWD 2026 - WOMEN SHAPING NARRATIVES
Women in Media Belfast’s ‘Women Shaping Narratives’ event to mark International Women’s Day 2026 takes place in the reception room at Belfast City Hall on Friday, March 6, from 1pm to 5pm. We are being hosted by Belfast City Council Lord Mayor’s office so thanks to Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly and the team.
How your day will unfold…
1pm - register, eat and drink. Hot lunch and Jawbox Classic Dry Gin with Maine Ginger Ale and Maine Brown lemonade reception. If you have any dietary or accessibility requirements please email contact@wimbelfast.com
2pm - 4pm - the speaking and performance bits.
4pm - 5pm - chill out, have another Jaxbox cocktail, catch up and/or make new contacts and friends.
Click here for TICKETS
THE LINE UP
PANEL SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS
WHAT AFGHAN AND IRANIAN WOMEN WANT
Sufi whirling dancers Fahima Mirzaie & Anna Rüya Ayyildiz accompanied by harpist Joanne Cassidy. Also Elisa Schroth and Behnaz Mafakheri.
WOMEN AND AI
Stormont politicians Kate Nicholl, Cara Hunter and Cheryl Brownlee will be talking about AI, deep fakes, online safety and more.
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Journalists, and endometriosis campaigners, Sarah Rose McCann, Laurene Agnew and Katie Watson will be talking about women’s health.
PODIUM SPEAKERS
Carleen Hughes is VP of Marketing at Kainos, working globally to help drive growth for one of Northern Ireland’s leading technology companies. Based in Belfast, she brings extensive experience in senior leadership within the tech sector. Carleen is a co-founder of Kainos’ Employee Network for Women, established to support and champion women across the organisation. Passionate about inclusive leadership and career progression, she is a strong advocate for empowering women in business and creating cultures where everyone can thrive.
Nicole O’Connor is a portfolio careerist, former educator, and "community villager" dedicated to reclaiming the human voice in a digital world. As the co-founder of Digi Know This, she works with schools and community groups to navigate the tech landscape with confidence and empathy. Nicole balances her corporate roles as Adobe’s Education Community Lead for Europe and an Apple Professional Learning Specialist with her grassroots leadership as Vice-Chair of East Belfast GAA and a Network Leader for WomenEd NI. Her work focuses on the "human rhythm" of technology - advocating that digital advancement matches a collective commitment to inclusion and safety.
Anne Hailes is an Irish News columnist and outgoing chair of NUJ Belfast & District Branch.
EVENT TEAM
Your event team on the day includes: Niamh Costello; Patricia MacBride; Amanda Ferguson; freelance journalist Shonagh Gill; and BMC student photographers Leagh Donaghy and Katelyn Mallard.
TICKETS
Limited tickets are available here: Eventbrite. See you on Friday, March 6.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Email contact@wimbelfast.com or use our contact form to get in touch.
