NWCI submission to the draft National Plan for Women

Published: Monday, December 31, 2001

The National Women's Council of Ireland welcomes the decision by the Government to draft a National Plan for Women, which can potentially provide a framework for concerted action to promote women's equality. A fundamental objective to the development o f the Plan must be the incorporation of rights based approach towards the progression of equality for women. Progressing women's rights as women's human rights will be key to achieving equality for women in by 2005. Adopting a human rights framework to both the analysis of the inequalities which women experience and the appropriate actions which are required to eliminate inequality and discrimination provides the basis for achieving the objectives as set in the Beijing Platform for Action.

Since the Platform for Action was signed by the Irish Government there has been some progress in ensuring women's human rights. Progress, however has been slow and piecemeal with no visible changes at all in some areas. Severe discrimination continues to be experienced by specific groups of women, including lone mothers, minority ethnic women, women with disabilities, lesbians and homeless women. Huge inequalities have been allowed to persist and develop between women in Ireland because of the lack of an adequate focus on diversity. Traveller women have over three times the risk of dying in a given year than a settled women. As of 2002, not one Traveller woman has been able to access a job in the Civil Service.

Download file:NWCI submission to the draft National Plan for Women