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A space and a voice for all women: NWCI providing central space for Feminist change in Ireland

Published: Monday, November 10, 2014

National Women’s Council of Ireland’s new offices were today officially opened by Minister for Justice and Equality and former NWCI Chair, Frances Fitzgerald. The opening was a celebration of the strength of feminism in Ireland, forty-one years after the foundation of NWCI and recognition of the continuing struggle for women’s equality.

Orla O’Connor, Director of NWCI commented,
“From the humble beginnings of kitchen table conversations, to borrowed rooms to rented offices in various locations around the city, NWCI are delighted to open the door to our official new home at 100 North King Street. The past few years have been financially difficult for NWCI and our members in the face of stringent budget cuts. We hope with our new offices, we will continue to provide a space and a voice for all women to advocate for change and equality. Our new offices will serve as a feminist base for our diverse members in Ireland and will be the headquarters for feminist change in Ireland.”

Minister Frances Fitzgerald said,
"The increased participation of women in decision-making roles is essential in any democratic society, even more so in a country like Ireland which has an almost perfectly gender-balanced population. I have every confidence that the Council will continue  to play a key role in promoting women’s rights and equality and that the working relationship between my Department and  the  Council will continue to prosper. We are very lucky in Ireland to have a strong grass-roots culture of volunteering and citizen engagement in public affairs.  NWCI is an exemplar of such organisations. It has not rested on  its  laurels.  It has reached  out  to the new communities in Ireland, whose concerns are now our concerns.”

Minister Frances Fitzgerald continued,
"NWCI  has  also  reached  out  to  younger  generations of women and men, to encourage  them  to  play  their  part in making Ireland more equal. In its constant  striving  to keep the goal of equal rights and equal treatment of all  women  and  men - by all women and men - at the forefront of civil and political debate, NWCI remains an inspiration. Long may this continue."

Orla O’Connor concluded,
“NWCI and our members are extremely proud of the progress we have made in the area of women’s rights to date, including extending maternity leave, the implementation of gender quotas and ensuring the campaign for reproductive rights remains a live issue. However, we are acutely aware of how far we still have to go. Women are paid less for the work we do, we are held back by restrictive laws governing our reproductive rights and medical decisions, we still provide the majority of the care work, we aren’t equally represented in a representative democracy and we are marginalised in senior decision making positions. The role of a national women’s organisation in continuing the struggle for gender equality is more important than ever before. As we enter a period of recovery, with a growing interest in women's equality NWCI will continue to ensure women’s rights are at the forefront of policy decisions.”

 

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For more information, please contact Sarah Clarkin, Communications Officer, National Women’s Council of Ireland, Tel. 085 858 9104