A poem called ‘Little Black Girl’ read by Anesu Khanya Mtowa, a South African woman who lives locally, was one of the most poignant moments during an International Women’s Day event held in Enniskillen on Saturday.

Organised by Rosa Santiago Kelly – founder of a black and ethnic minority (BME) support group in Omagh and current Chair of Enniskillen-based Women of the World – the event saw over 50 women gather to celebrate their culture and talk about their experiences of living in Northern Ireland.

Among the attendees was Sinn Féin Councillor Debbie Coyle, originally from England, who moved to live in Enniskillen 22 years ago with her mixed-race children.

“The most poignant moment for me was the poem ‘Little Black Girl’. It brought me back to when I had my own children coming here and going to school,” commented Councillor Coyle, explaining that her son was once punched on the school bus, not because of his race, but because of his religion.

“There would still be remarks made, but in general it’s better,” commented Councillor Coyle, who addressed the gathering on the issue of domestic violence.

“Whilst we are celebrating all the achievements of women and how well we are doing in all aspects of life, there is still a long way to go in terms of domestic violence,” she told The Impartial Reporter, adding that a number of attendees spoke to her afterwards about the difficulties they experienced in accessing support services for domestic violence whilst living locally.

“It was a great event. Music and dance is a powerful tool in bringing people together. Hopefully we will build on it year-on-year,” said Ms. Coyle.

Rosa Santiago Kelly commented: “It was very successful. The main message was BME communities often have very difficult experiences of dealing with general issues living here, for example, finding a job. We champion the need to be confident about what we can contribute to this country and to be a strong, determined woman.”