Ailbhe Smyth was the founding head of Women's and Gender Studies at University College Dublin and is a long-time feminist, LGBTQI+ and socialist activist. She was centrally involved in the Marriage Equality referendum in 2015, co-founded the Coalition to Repeal the 8th Amendment and was co-director of the Together for Yes abortion referendum campaign in 2018. Currently, she is Chair of Women’s Aid Ireland and is Patron of the Women’s Collective Ireland. She is a founding member of Le Cheile: Diversity not Division Ireland for All.

Ailbhe was included in Time Magazine’s ‘The world’s 100 most influential people’ list in 2019. She is a Freewoman of the City of Dublin, and received an honorary doctorate in laws from Galway University.