The National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) is the leading national women’s membership organisation seeking equality between women and men, founded in 1973.

We represent our membership which includes over 180 member groups as well as a growing number of individual members from a diversity of backgrounds, sectors and locations.

Our mission is to lead and to be a catalyst for change in the achievement of equality between women and men. We articulate the views and experiences of our members and make sure their voices are heard wherever decisions are made which affect the lives of women.

Our vision is of an Ireland, and of a world, where there is full equality between women and men.

Our values and beliefs shape what we do and how we work, key among these are:

• We are a feminist organisation.  We believe that feminism is about working to change society so that women and men have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives.
• We are aware that women are not a homogenous group and very keen to reflect in our work the diversity that exists among all women.
• We believe that care work is essential to the common good, it performs vital social and economic functions. We see the recognition and valuing of affective care as fundamental to full equality for women. 
• We believe in the fundamental dignity and human rights of all human beings.  We recognise that these rights are universal, inalienable and indivisible. 
• We believe the right to makes one’s own choices about one’s body for oneself is at the very core of personal freedom. Bodily integrity is a human right.
• We know that tackling inequality and creating a more equal society requires tackling structural inequalities as well as a shift in the balance from self-interested ‘consumerism’ to a friendlier and more collaborative society. 
• We believe that women in leadership positions (at all levels of society, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally) and the women’s sector offer key sources of leadership and skills in relation to this change process.