The National Women’s Council (NWC) is the leading representative organisation working for women’s rights and equality across the island of Ireland, founded in 1973.

We are rooted in our membership. We work together with our almost 200 member groups across the island of Ireland and a growing community of individual supporters to deliver on our purpose – to achieve women’s rights and equality.

We are a feminist organisation. We define feminism as a movement striving for the social, cultural, political, and economic equality of women and men. This involves challenging gender inequalities and the systems and structures that oppress women. It also involves mobilising our members and advocating for true equality for all women and girls. Feminism is a core value for us, guiding our actions to achieve our goal of women’s rights and equality.

Our Vision is

A feminist Ireland that is just and caring, where everyone thrives.

Our Mission is:

To lead transformative action to achieve women’s rights and equality through mobilising, influencing and building solidarity.

Our Values guide us. They are given expression in our work and in how we work, as an organisation.

Feminist

• In all of our work, we acknowledge the unfair systems and barriers that all women face, no matter our differences.
• We work together to empower women to lead the changes needed for women’s rights and equality.
• We focus on supporting women who have the least access to power.

Courageous

• We stand firm on women’s rights and equality and challenge those in positions of power who undermine or oppose our campaign for positive change.
• We do not shy away from having tough conversations and speak up when it is needed.
• We try out new ways of working, embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and nurture a culture of self-reflection.

Strategic  

• To be successful in achieving our goals, we are thoughtful and plan carefully.
• This means showing leadership, working well with partners, and focusing on what matters most. It means making choices that are achievable/realistic and will help us in the future.

Informed

• Our work is based on the lived experiences of women in their diversity, paying extra attention to the most marginalised women. This and other available accurate evidence and research inform all of our materials, events, publications and communications.
• Our staff is highly professional with proven expertise in their areas of work.

Inclusive  

• We understand that women and girls are all different, and many will face different forms of discrimination at the same time, including but not limited to discriminations based on race, ability, sexual orientation, class, gender expression and ethnicity.
• We pro-actively include women from diverse backgrounds and offer extra support to those who might face more challenges in getting involved in our work.
• We are aware of potential bias and check our own institutional privilege and power.

Caring

• We recognise care as essential to life, rooted in our interdependence with each other and the planet, and as a collective force that sustains people and communities
• We recognise and value care in all its forms.
• We recognise the connections between gender, care, and the environment.
• We advocate for policies that put care at the heart of economic, social, and environmental systems.
• We foster an organisational culture that prioritises the well-being of staff and members; care starts within.

Our Governance and Funding

NWC is directed by an Executive Board which oversees the work of the Director and staff and which is elected from group member nominees at the AGM.

NWC is funded by grants from Government, the largest coming from the Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, as well as a range of state agencies, including HSE and Pobal. Newly developed fundraising and membership strategies aim to grow our funding base as well as our membership, so that we will expand as a movement-building organisation and have increased resources available to achieve our ambitions.

By ‘woman’ we refer to any person who identifies as a woman.