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HAVANA BALL
Ronnie Greaney is all set
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GalwayCityTribune Friday, May 28, 2010 SEE 19

No bed of roses in flower

industry, city women told
Think before choosing bouquets consumers are advised
THE gift of a bouquet of flow-
ers may represent apprecia-
tion, love and kindness at
Ger says ... appropriate times but the
public in Galway is being
"These are the asked to question the origins
of their flowers and if their
best barbeques production is one adhering to
money can buy" the Fair Trade regulations.
A group of women repre-
The best stocked Garden Centre in the West GA RD E N IN G C OM P L E X senting various aspects of city
life, have completed a course
Resource Centre based in Mill
Street was the location of the
course which explored
women’s role in the economy,
especially the care economy.
This course explored the dif-
ferent and sometimes contra-
dictory roles of the State and
the Market in the economy.
“Sometimes women do all the
work, like housekeeping, care
of the sick, older people and
course were particularly
shocked at the working condi-
tions of women working in the
flower industry in the global
south. In the cut-flower indus-
try in Africa and Latin Ameri-
ca, women make up the major-
ity of the workforce and they
are commonly employed in a
casual or temporary basis.
Government labour laws and
retailer buying practices that

CURRAGHLINE GARDEN CENTRE

that looked at the economy
through the eyes of women and
one industry that gave them
Tel: 091-755330 or 087-2255181 Fax: 091-756701 food for thought was the flower
production one in South Amer-
Email: info@mcgaughs.com Web: www.mcgaughs.com ica.
The St. Vincent de Paul
Monday-Saturday 9-6pm; Sunday 1-6pm Resource Croí na Gaillimhe
childminding, but when econo-
mists talk about the economy
or when economic decisions
are made, these things are being
left out, have we ever wondered
why” said Eta a participant on
the course.
The participants on the
squeeze every part of the supply
chain for profit seriously affect
the way farm owners hire and
treat their workforce. And
women workers are the last
link in the supply chain – with
nowhere else to recoup costs,
they are particularly vulnerable.
Women in Croi na Gaillimhe discuss how they could raise
public awareness about the poor conditions of flower
workers in South America during their workshop.
Research undertaken by organisation and part of a glob-
Women Working Worldwide al women’s movement and, as
with partners in East and such, is committed to political
Southern Africa in 2005-2007 action. The name ‘Banúlacht’ is
found that non-permanent derived from the Irish word for
workers in the cut flowers women, bean (pronounced
industry often do not have writ- 'ban'), and means ‘of women’, or

o m e & e
ten contracts, are paid lower
wages than other workers are
‘related to women’.
Commenting on the course,

r
paid erratically, are not entitled Loretta Needham, Centre Man-

H L e is u
to any benefits, and are told
they are not entitled to
unionise.
They are also more at risk of
employer abuse, including sex-
ual harassment. In Kenya,
women workers reported that
they were offered permanent
contracts in exchange for sex.
Teresa, a course participant
said: “The flower industry is an
example of the poorest women
being exploited to the advan-
tage of the more affluent
women and is a perfect exam-
ple of negative globalisation
with environmental conse-
quences. “
Annalisa one of the partici-
pants on the course added: “We
all love flowers, but should we
be prepared to let women suffer
so that we can have cheap flow-
ers at their expense. Certainly
not, because fair trade flowers
are now available in supermar-
kets in Galway. As women, we
can choose to buy fair-trade
flowers or we can ask our loved
ones to give us fair trade flow-
ers for special occasions”.
This course was delivered by
Maeve Taylor from Banulacht a
National Women’s organisa-
tion, with many years of expe-
rience on global issues. Over
15 women from different parts
of Ireland and Africa received
certificates. Some were stu-
dents from NUIG, members of
the Society of St Vincent de
Paul, general public and Gal-
way Refugee Support Group.
Banúlacht is a feminist
ager, Croí na Gaillimhe
Resource Centre, Society of St
Vincent de Paul said: “In the
current economic climate it’s
even more important that we
understand how the care econ-
omy interacts with the state and
market economy, how tradi-
tional methods for measuring
economic growth does not
reflect the true picture of the
economy and by right we
should have care work includ-
ed in the economy.
“As the economy is declining
it relies even more on women
and the care economy (which
includes domestic work, house-
keeping, care of children, older
people, voluntary and commu-
nity work, which can be under-
paid or unpaid). It is essential
that the women’s work and the
care economy are taken into
account when measuring eco-
nomic growth. So, it’s impor-
tant that we show solidarity to
women in the Global South by
buying Fairtrade Flowers.”
Ms Needham said that the
conclusion of the course was
that shoppers could influence
the cut flower trade by asking
about the origin of the flowers
and then thinking twice about
buying them.
She said it was great that the
course, the first one of its kind
held in the resource centre by
Banúlacht, had raised aware-
ness and that the participants
now wanted to spread that
awareness to the general pub-
lic.

Lawn Sweet taste of success

Mowers for Galway pastry chef
Furniture GALWAY pastry chef Paula

Tiles Stakelum is one of six finalists

Ɣ Sauna
to compete in the Valrhona
Patisserie Championship tak-

Jet Skis o t Tu bs ing place in Dublin next

ts Ɣ H
Wednesday.

ds Ɣ Boa
Paula who joined the Ardi-
laun Hotel five years ago

ape t En r VvoÁu\chHeU
works full-time at the hotel and

ZiLtWhKtohWnKissLales
also has just completed her

Beds Ɣ C
final year studying in Galway

w Mayo Institute of Technology

for a Bachelor of Arts in Culi-

F
d

F
nary Arts.
* Vali

O
Working late through the
0.
over €10 per
night and into the early hours

€ 20
of the morning in preparation

u c h e r for this competition, Paula was

1 Vo successful in her written sub-

c h a s e . mission whereby the brief was

pur to produce a plated dessert

using Valrhona couverture
under the theme “Textures”.
The brief was to use Val-
rhona Pure Origin Grands
Crus, Blends of Garnds Crus,
Gourmet Creations, Pralinés,
Giandujas, Almond Pastes or
Paula Stakelum
was finalist in the Young Chef
of the Year award, is the only
West of Ireland and Galway
Chef chosen for the final of this
prestigious National competi-

STARTS other Valrhona service prod-

ucts.
Paula’s chosen dessert plate
tion and will be competing
head to head on Wednesday
next against chefs representing

)ULGD\ WK 0D\ incorporated a unique distinc-

tive “Irish” theme named
“Posadh Manjari, Bitter Lactee
agus Ivorie le su talon fiain”, of
top hotels and restaurants
nationally .
“We are very proud of Paula
and her creations and all of her

7XDP 5RDG *DOZD\ which she said: “This couver-

ture, I feel, marries well with
the wild strawberries and the
OPPOSITE TRAPPERS INN carrageen moss, both from the
West of Ireland.”
Paula (24) who is no
stranger to competitions and
achievements in the kitchen
and the drive and ambition
that motivates her to compete
with the best in her field in Ire-
land,” said John Ryan, Manag-
ing Director of The Ardilaun
Hotel.