Tackle Violence Against Women and Girls Now: All-Island Women’s Forum Issues Call
Published: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
At least 13 adult women have been killed on the island of Ireland in 2026
Women leaders from across Ireland will meet in Dublin today to discuss the key issues facing women in 2026. Top of their list will be women’s leadership, growing anti-migrant and anti-LGBTQ sentiments and violence against women.
The National Women’s Council (NWC) convenes the All-Island Women’s Forum, which brings together women leaders from North and South and across communities. Launching the forum’s new Strategic Plan An All-Island Vision for Women’s Equality, NWC Executive Director Corrinne Hasson said:
“The All-Island Women’s Forum is a hugely important space for women leaders, from North and South and across all communities. We have a focus on peace and reconciliation alongside a determination to put the issues that matter to all women across our island firmly on the agenda.”
She continued:
“Women's representation in decision-making remains uneven. Too many decisions affecting women's lives - including healthcare, education, transport and childcare - are made without women's lived experience at the centre. Women's leadership is key to the peaceful future of this island. The All Island Women’s Forum is a unique space for women to collaborate across communities and lead on crucial conversations and actions to shape our shared future on this island. ”
Sonya McMullan of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland, said:
“Sadly, violence against women and girls is an issue that affects lives in every corner of this island, and since the start of 2026, many communities across the island have lost loved ones to femicide.
Tackling this issue requires us all to work together to address the root causes of violence against women and girls. Working jointly across the island, North and South, is vital if we are to make meaningful progress in preventing violence.
Everyone on this island deserves to live free from violence and to feel safe in their homes and communities. By working together effectively across jurisdictions, we can make real progress towards achieving that goal.”
The All-Island Women’s Forum meets today in Dublin’s Mansion House to launch their strategy for 2026-28. The All-Island Women’s Forum was established by NWC in 2021 to bring together women’s groups and activists from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Its goal is to foster cooperation, dialogue and inclusion on issues affecting women across the island, especially around the topics of peacebuilding, violence against women, leadership and equality.
Key priority areas in the new Strategy are to coordinate all-island responses to key issues for women; to advance women’s leadership and representation across the island; and to strengthen the all-women’s forum itself.
Link to the Strategic Plan: https://www.nwci.ie/images/uploads/NWC_AIWF_Strategic_Plan_FINAL.pdf