The AXA Ireland Fund has been created to support communities and non-profit enterprises and organisations who address key social issues. For our first year, funding will focus on Empowering Women.
This is a subject close to the heart of our leadership team, and we spoke to some of them to find out their thoughts on the AXA Ireland Fund, and how the inaugural theme of empowering women is integral to AXA’s day to day life and what we stand for as a company.
“Support from the AXA Ireland Fund will be transformational for these smaller, grass roots organisations, enabling them to expand their services to help more people. I’m excited to see the impact they can have, and it was a great to meet the Great Care Co-Op in person to see their passion, enthusiasm and focus to make a wider change is to be commended.” says Mick Comerford, Retail Direct Director.
“Here at AXA, we’re firm believers that in supporting equality for women, giving opportunity and helping build well-being, society is lifted as a whole. Gender equality, diversity and inclusion are key enablers within our own strategy that help our business thrive.”
“We are proud that with this Fund, we’re targeting our support at organisations whose work addresses and challenges the social norms. We are also proud that AXA was one of the initial signatories to Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter, demonstrating our commitment to increasing women’s participation in our company, and recognising the urgency of this issue across the financial services industry. Mick Comerford.
“It is not uncommon for women to be disproportionately impacted by a variety of social and economic risks. We have a responsibility to do more. I have worked for many years in the risk environment in insurance and want to ensure that women are not disproportionality impacted by risks. It takes both strong people, companies and effective programmes to build strong inclusive communities, I am delighted to say that the AXA Ireland Fund is part of this progressive journey” says Niamh Gaudin, AXA Chief Risk Officer.
“No woman should live in fear, face limited or fewer opportunities, or feel discouraged or prevented from pursuing their potential. Through the AXA Ireland Fund, we’re focusing on the positive factors, seeking to support key enablers that can help women thrive, rather than simply survive, and looking to support initiatives that empower women in key areas of inequality: work, power, opportunity and time.
“This is just one way in which AXA supports initiatives that focus on women. The AXA Research Fund also invests in numerous research projects into women’s health, including maternal and child health, and domestic violence.
“And this year, AXA published the third edition of our Mind Health Report, which looks closely at why women experience poorer mental health outcomes than men and what can be done by governments, society and individuals to challenge current gender norms.” Niamh Gaudin.
Derval McDonagh, Chief People Officer, AXA Ireland told us: “At AXA, we’re always striving to support our colleagues with internal initiatives that help women thrive professionally and personally.”
“Protecting what matters is the core of what we do at AXA and that’s no different when it comes to supporting our people. Playing our part in creating inclusive workplaces, including flexible ways of working, is vital to our collective long-term wellbeing and success. Our AXA Cares policies and our more recent Female Mentoring Programme are amongst the initiatives we deliver to demonstrably support our colleagues, in and particular our female colleagues, feel empowered to progress in our organisation”.
“As well as additional leave and flexible working arrangements to support colleagues receiving and recovering from in-vitro fertilisation, or in the case of pregnancy loss, we will also provide specialised assistance for colleagues facing domestic, familial, or sexual violence. And we are enhancing our health programme with support for menstrual health conditions and the menopause.” Derval McDonagh
We also spoke to Marguerite Brosnan, CEO, AXA Ireland, who told us,
“Collaboration and cooperation are powerful forces. When people come together and engage with a common purpose, things previously seen as insurmountable can become possible. That is the power of the collective. Challenges are easier to overcome, and communities can thrive”.
“Through the AXA Ireland Fund, we are delighted to support local communities, organisations and not for profit enterprises who seek to make a difference in addressing key social issues. Empowerment of women, whether in the home, the workplace or the community, is key to enable a richer, more diverse society. I am delighted that the AXA Ireland Fund is supporting key enablers of empowerment and in doing so helping to build resilience, welfare and overall well-being”.
“We look forward to seeing beneficiaries from the fund thrive, grow and prosper in the coming year. And we will be with them every step of the way to support them on their journeys”. Marguerite Brosnan
To find out more about the AXA Fund go to:
AXA Fund Summary:
The AXA Ireland Fund looks to support communities, non-profit enterprises and organisations whose ambition is to address key social issues.
The fund supports projects in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The AXA Ireland Fund grew out of AXA Parks, an initiative to support sustainable, community led projects creating or improving green spaces in their localities. A year on that project has helped over 85 communities across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Our fund partner, the dedicated team of experts at Community Foundation Ireland, are managing and facilitating the AXA Ireland Fund. This year, funding will focus on empowering women. The Fund supports initiatives that help women thrive, touching on areas of inequality, including work, enablement, time and opportunities. See axa.ie/axa-ireland-fund for more detail.
The 2023 grantees have been through the initial funding application process and the winning recipients are outlined below.
We look forward to seeing the implementation of their projects in 2024.
ROI: The Great Care Co-Op
NI: GLOW NI (Giving Life Opportunities to Women)
The Great Care Co-op
The care industry in Ireland relies on a steady supply of low paid labour, mainly women and migrant workers, who traditionally receive no financial security. The Great Care Co-op is a social enterprise and worker co-operative, founded by migrant women who wanted to create something better - offering women financial security and providing a higher standard of tailored care to those in need.
The Co-op plan to use the support from the AXA Ireland Fund to expand their business from three to eight care hubs, operating across Dublin and Wicklow. Enabling them to provide tailored care for more people in need, and to offer more women better employment conditions and financial compensation.
“We care about positive ageing, sustainable societies, and about workers being able to access decent work. We’re motivated by wanting to see a better world.” Aoife Smith, CEO, The Great Care Co-op
GLOW (Giving Life Opportunities to Women)
An inter-generational, cross-community organisation, GLOW was developed from a common desire of women in the local community to address issues facing their peers such as low self-esteem & confidence, mental health problems, isolation and a general lack of purpose. Many of the women they support have difficulties accessing education and employment, and many have experienced domestic abuse and substance abuse.
GLOW challenges the status quo in order to break the vicious cycle of these issues, by empowering women and young girls with the tools and techniques to build their confidence, self-esteem, resilience and life skills.
With support from the AXA Ireland Fund, this small organisation will continue to invest in their programmes (LILY, Fearless & The Real Me) which helps women and girls from 10-13, 14-17 and 18+ years old. The funding will also allow them to explore the possibility of launching a pilot programme to recruit a family support worker to equip the women they work with and their family members with the coping skills to strengthen family relationships and navigate the complexities of mental health challenges.
“I was lost, I was very depressed. I was isolating myself away from everybody, and finding GLOW was my lifeline. It saved us, it saved my family as a whole.” GLOW participant.
“GLOW provides a safe space for women to share their vulnerabilities. We have women and girls coming from both sides of the community, fostering a community of resilience and hope.” Treasa Rice, CEO of GLOW