Chairperson
Rebekah Connolly is Head of the Content Information team at spunout, Ireland’s Youth Information and Support Platform. She is also the Gender, Sexuality & Relationships Editor for spunout. She has a BA in Modern Irish and Politics from UCD and an MA in Journalism and PR from Griffith College Dublin. Since joining spunout Rebekah has focused her studies on how inequalities can impact young people’s access to information, gaining a Cert in Mental Health and Community from UCC, a Post Graduate Cert in Sexuality and Sexual Health from DCU and a Post Graduate Cert in Trauma Studies from UCC. Rebekah is passionate about sexual health education and believes that all young people deserve holistic RSE education that reduces stigma, prioritises pleasure and is inclusive of all LGBTIQ+ people and people of different abilities. Rebekah joined the National Women’s Council in 2022 as the representative for spunout and is also a member of the Irish Observatory on Violence Against Women.
Deputy Chairperson
Currently working as a Health Project Coordinator with AkiDwA, Anne has extensive experience working with diverse groups from a wide range of backgrounds and has been actively involved in childcare campaigns with the National Women’s Council of Ireland. She has a strong background in community development, advocacy, and trauma-informed care, and holds a BA in Social Science and Cultural Innovation. Her career spans a variety of impactful roles, including Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Officer, Peer Support Officer, Administrator, and Secretarial Assistant at the Dáil.
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Dr Norah Burns is a human rights academic based in Queens University Belfast. She holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Master of Laws in Human Rights in Criminal Justice and a PhD in Law. She is very dedicated to widening participation to third level education and has won awards for this work along with teaching awards from AMLÉ (formerly the Union of Students in Ireland)/ National Forum for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and Oxford University Press. She is a member of the Irish Women Lawyers Association who have nominated her for election to the board, this nomination is seconded by SIPTU. In 2021 she was appointed to the board of Gaisce the President of Ireland’s youth leadership award by the Minister for Children and Equality, she was reappointed for a second term. She currently sits on the EDI committee of Technological University Dublin. She has a significant level of experience in governance, Norah sits on both the governance sub committees of NWC and Gaisce and formerly was a member of a University Governing Body. Norah has presented at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Summer School, the UN and at the European Parliament. Norah is from a rural background and strongly believes in the importance of women on boards and in particular having representation on boards from those living in/ from rural areas and from all parts of the island.
Most of Margaret’s working life centred on women’s issues, particularly violence against women, and community education. In 2019 Margaret retired from her role as Director of Women’s Aid. Other key posts included: Women’s Education Officer and Deputy Director at AONTAS; Coordinator with POWER Partnership (NWC, WERRC, UCD, Women’s Support Network, Belfast and University of Ulster); and Projects Manager in NWC.
Rhiannon Clarke Downey is a law graduate of University College Dublin. Her academic and professional interests centre on equality, human rights, and the development of legal frameworks that respond effectively to contemporary social challenges, particularly those affecting women and marginalised communities. Rhiannon has served as a member of the National Women’s Council of Ireland Youth Advisory Panel since its establishment, contributing to national policy discussions on issues impacting women’s economic, social, and civic participation, with a particular focus on ensuring that the voices and experiences of young women are meaningfully represented. She is also a Millennium Fellow, recognised for her work on social impact initiatives aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Vivienne Glanville is National Programme Co ordinator for Women’s Collective Ireland (WCI) who work directly with women experiencing disadvantage, through 17 Grassroots Women’s Community Development Projects and a National structure. Vivienne has over 20 years’ experience working in the area of women’s human rights in the community sector in a voluntary and professional capacity. She is passionate about community initiatives which support the development of women and women’s engagement in civil society. She believes in women’s community education as a catalyst for change. Vivienne holds an MA in Women, Gender and Social Justice (UCD).She strongly believes that women's voices, particularly those of marginalised, socially excluded, minority and working-class women, must be included in all areas of decision making; to result in meaningful change and gender equality.
Mary-Louise Lynch is the Founding Director of SiSi where she strategically leads a collective of women survivors of intimate partner violence to drive change and transform systems, all informed by the experience of survivors. After surviving a decade and a half of protracted abusive family law proceedings, Mary-Louise now works to address systemic inequality that disproportionately impacts survivors of intimate partner abuse and their children.Mary-Louise has an academic background in History, Philosophy, Women’s Studies, Transformative Leadership and Specialised Group Facilitation. She is Ireland’s current expert appointed to the European Observatory on Violence Against Women at the European Women’s Lobby and served as a Board Member of West Cork Beacon from 2018-2022.
Dr Jennifer Okeke is a research consultant, internationally recognised speaker, and recipient of the Ambassador of Peace award. She served as Chair of the National Women’s Council from 2024-2026. Her academic and professional work spans several interconnected areas, including gender-based violence, trafficking in human beings, migration, race and racism, human rights, and issues of peace and security. She has previously served as Chair of a migrant women’s organisation in Ireland and as a board member of the European Network of Migrant Women in Brussels. She currently represents Ireland at the European Women’s Lobby. She is an established trainer who has designed and delivered capacity-building programmes for diverse stakeholders at both national and international levels. Dr Jennifer Okeke is a sociologist whose academic work reflects a sustained engagement with issues of inequality and social justice.
Shirley Scott is the Policy Manager at Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, where she has worked since 2004, holding a number of different positions within the organisation. She served as Deputy Chair of the National Women’s Council from 2024-2026. Actively involved in voluntary work for much of her adult life, she recently concluded a nine-year term on the board of Bethany, the National Bereavement Support Group for Adults. Shirley holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from Dublin City University, a BA in Humanities and an MA in Human Development from St Patrick’s College (DCU), along with an Advanced Diploma in Data Protection Law from the Honourable Society of King’s Inns.
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Christina Sherlock is Head of Strategic Communications and Fundraising at Women’s Aid and has worked on the issue of domestic abuse for over 20 years. She holds an MA in International Relations and a BA in Political Science from Queen’s University Belfast, and is a graduate of the Non-Profit Leadership and Management programme at the National College of Ireland. As part of her role at Women’s Aid, Christina has curated the Femicide Watch for nearly 20 years and spearheads public awareness campaigns and media strategies to increase understanding of the prevalence, nature and impact of domestic abuse on women and children and encourage positive social change. She is part of the Women’s Aid team that provides solution-based recommendations on improving prevention, legal responses, policies and protections to support women and children subjected to domestic violence and abuse. Christina also supports the research strategy at Women’s Aid to promote evidence-based responses to domestic abuse and is a member of the Women’s Aid Senior Leadership Team.
Paula Soraghan is a proud disabled woman who is passionate about feminism through an intersectional lens. She understands the importance of collective empowerment and representation and brings the lived experience of a young, queer disabled woman. Paula is employed as the VOICE Community Development Worker for Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford and Waterford with Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI). As part of this work, she connects with disabled people from different backgrounds and works collectively with them to make social change. She is a co-facilitator of ILMI’s Youth Collective, the only disabled, cross-impairment Youth Collective space for people aged 16–30 in Ireland. Paula has represented ILMI and the National Women’s Council at national and international level, including speaking to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Financial Independence for Disabled Women, participating in NWC delegations to Brussels and Geneva, and advocating for accessible healthcare, engagement with Disabled Persons Organisations, and intersectional feminism in policy-making.
