“I’m sure that people will remember us” Sappho 630-570 BC
February is LGBT+ History Month in the UK and the theme this year is Activism and Social Change. Throughout history LGBT+ people have been activists and helped shape and create social change, advancing society for everyone. To celebrate this, we have put together a series of pen-portraits of LGBT+ loyalist women who have done amazing things. We will be adding a new pen-portrait to this article every week in February so please check back for updates!
Eileen Weir
Eileen is a multi award winning peace activist, women’s rights campaigner and Trade Unionist. We are celebrating Eileen because she has spent her entire adult life working for the human rights of working class people.
Eileen is a staunch Trade Unionist and served on the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union’s Women’s Advisory Committee. As a Trade Unionist Eileen made the decision to campaign against strip searches of women prisoners. Reflecting on this decision for an earlier interview with Her Loyal Voice she stated, “I dismissed the Republican bit out of it and looked at the issue, and the issue was basically is it right to strip search women? I decided that it wasn’t right. I then campaigned against strip-searching.” Eileen would go on to be involved in many worker’s rights campaigns including the Equal Pay Act, equal pay for equal work, and campaigning against zero hours contracts.
After being made redundant in the early 90s Eileen started volunteering with Shankill Women’s Centre. Eileen excelled in capacity building and community organising and soon started working for the centre, retiring only last year. Eileen has worked with a wide range of women including women in prisons and women from newly arrived communities. She is committed to making sure all women have a valued and equal place in our community.
In 2018 Eileen received two prestigious awards, the Community Relations Council “Exceptional Achievement Award” and the “McCluskey Civil Rights Award” for her role in Human Rights, Civil Rights and Peace Building activities. Eileen was the first woman to be awarded the McCluskey Civil Rights Award. She has also been featured in several art exhibitions including Peace Heroines which toured internationally and the Peace Women exhibition by Hannah Starkey at the Ulster Museum.
Eileen continues to be active in the women’s movement and trade unionism.
Check back next week for more pen-portraits!
