Olwen Dawe

Olwen is a leading Policy Analyst and Consultant, with a particular specialism in equity, policy and strategy, and the arts.  Notably, in recent years this has included projects with a number of cultural institutions, including the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, the National Library of Ireland, the Abbey Theatre, the Irish Film Institute and the Heritage Council.

 

Olwen is an Associate Consultant of the Institute of Public Administration, and guest lectures on their Professional Diploma in Human Rights and Equality

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A graduate of the Whitaker School of Government and Management (IPA), and NCI (formerly the National College of Industrial Relations), Olwen holds a BA (Hons) in Industrial Relations, a Postgraduate Diploma in Economic Science, Public Policy Analysis, an MEconScience in Public Policy Analysis and a Professional Certificate in Governance.  Olwen was awarded joint-first in class for her thesis which examined social justice advocacy in public policy through the prism of the #MarRef and #WakingTheFeminists movements; she regularly gives public talks and lectures on both her work and research.

 

In late 2017, and in response to the revelations of harassment in Irish theatre, the #MeToo and #IrishWeinstein hashtags, Olwen co-authored the Amplify Women toolkit with Dr. Brenda Donohue and colleagues from across the legal, workplace relations and representative / advocacy communities.  Olwen was the Project Advisor for the Speak Up: A Call for Change report, published in October 2021, and continues to advise the Safe to Create project. 

 

A passionate advocate for both gender equality and the role of arts in society, Olwen is a former Board member of Women's Aid, the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWC) and the inaugural Chair of Network Ireland’s Advisory Council (she was the organisation’s National President in 2015).  Olwen has served on the Boards of the Lyric Theatre (Belfast), Poetry Ireland and CoisCéim Dance Theatre, and was Chair of the Policy Research Committee of the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA).  Olwen currently serves on the Board of the Centre for Cross Border Cooperation and the IMAGINE! Festival of Ideas and Politics.

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