IWD26 CHAS Event:
Exploring What Helps Women Thrive

Date: Tuesday 3 March
Time: 11.30am - 1.30pm
Location: Charles Institute Seminar Room
Lunch in the Kevin Barry Gallery
Presentations, Panel Discussion & Lunch

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HOSTED BY: Professor Barbara Dooley
Emeritus Full Professor of Psychology
President, International Association for Youth Mental Health

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Mary Hayes
Too Into You Coordinator, Women’s Aid
Topic: Healthy & unhealthy relationships

Talk outline: Too Into You is an award-winning project from Women’s Aid, created to empower young people, especially young women aged 18–25, to recognise the red flags of intimate relationship abuse and understand what real, healthy love looks like. In this talk, we’ll shine a light on the reality of abuse in young women’s lives in Ireland, the warning signs that are often missed, and the impact this abuse can have on mental health, education, confidence, and future relationships. We’ll also look at what healthy love feels like and how young people can access support through our dedicated website, (opens in a new window)toointoyou.ie.

Mary's Bio: Mary Hayes coordinates the(opens in a new window) Too Into You project from(opens in a new window) Women’s Aid Ireland. This award winning project is focused on young people, in particular young women, aged 18-25 to teach them about the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, the red flags of intimate relationship abuse, and provide dedicated supports for young people at (opens in a new window)toointoyou.ie. Mary is responsible for the successful delivery and strategic growth and development of the Too Into You project. She also co-hosts the Too Into You Podcast on all things relationships, red flags and support. Mary is a graduate with distinction (1.1) from the Equality Studies Masters programme in University College Dublin, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies from Dublin City University, and a Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership and Management from National College of Ireland. She has a particular interest in the needs of young LGBTQ+ people and has led on national campaigns on intimate relationship abuse, healthy relationships, and women’s mental health.

SPEAKER: Professor Matthew Sadlier
Consultant Psychiatrist
Topic: The dangers of social media and smartphone use and how it inhibits the development of young girls with an emphasis on the dangers of pornography.

Prof Sadlier's Bio: Prof Matthew Sadlier is a Consultant Psychiatrist, Associate Clinical Professor and member of Health Professionals for Safer Screens. He has been a long advocate against the dangers of social media and unrestricted access to smartphones. He has presented to the Oireachtas, Scottish and UK Governments. He is a former president of the Irish Medical Organisation.

SPEAKER: Aghogho Okpara
Educational Equity Founder @achievewithaghogho and
UCD Medicine Student (final year)
Topic: The Power of Self-Belief

Talk outline: This presentation will cover how practicing relentless self-belief can lead to unimaginable outcomes. There are many reasons women are underrepresented in boardrooms, leadership roles, and general positions of power - some of which are beyond our control. However, practicing self-belief is one way we can at least in part close this gap. Women, like our male counterparts, need to grow the muscle of audacity. In this talk, Aghogho Okpara will share how she developed this muscle, the results that have come from using it, and insights on how you can start being more audacious to your own advantage today.

Aghogho's Bio: Aghogho Okpara is the founder of Achieve with Aghogho (AWA) and an award-winning medical student at University College Dublin. Her young voice is currently driving global change in education. As a digital creator with a following of over 400,000 people, she uses her influence to inspire young people to believe in themselves and thrive in education. She is best known for her inspiring story about rising from failure. Aghogho has been interviewed on BBC International News and was termed a "Face of the Future" by the Irish Times, a "Trailblazer" by RTÉ, and a "Voice for Change" nominee in the 2025 TikTok Awards. She is also an international keynote speaker and has delivered talks for global corporations such as Apple and Zoom. Through her organisation Achieve with Aghogho (AWA), she aims to improve educational outcomes for students from all backgrounds by helping them to develop self-belief.

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This event is coordinated by the UCD School of Medicine EDI Committee.