Youth activist Rebekah Connolly elected Chairperson of the National Women’s Council

Published: Friday, June 12, 2026

The National Women’s Council (NWC) is delighted to announce the election of Rebekah Connolly as its Chairperson for a two-year term until 2028. Anne Waithira Burke was elected as Deputy Chair. 

Connolly has been a board member of NWC since 2024 and is also a member of the Irish Observatory on Violence Against Women. She is Head of the Content Information team as well as the Gender, Sexuality & Relationships Editor at spunout, Ireland’s Youth Information and Support Platform. In her work she focuses on mental health, sexuality and sexual health, trauma, and how these issues can converge for young people. 

Connolly said: 
“I am honoured to have been elected as the youngest-ever Chair of the National Women’s Council, which represents almost 200 member organisations across Ireland. I am a firm believer in the empowerment of women through community action. I am also passionate about policy that is inclusive of all LGBTIQ+ people, minority groups, and people of different abilities and I intend to bring this lens to the important work that NWC is doing on gender equality. I look forward to working with the Board and staff team at NWC over the coming years.” 

Passionate about the Irish language, Connolly has a BA in Modern Irish and Politics from UCD and an MA in Journalism and PR from Griffith College Dublin. She has worked across a broad range of coalition groups advocating for the rights of young people, women and minority groups in Ireland, including the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR), the Trans Equality Network, and the Coalition to End Youth Homelessness. She is a member of CATU and Talamh Beo.

Corrinne Hasson, Executive Director of NWC, said: 
“We are thrilled to have Rebekah as our new Chair. Having had Rebekah on our board over the past two years, I am confident that she will bring a fresh perspective, particularly in terms of young people, to our work promoting women’s rights and equality.”
At the NWC AGM, Anne Waithira Burke was elected Deputy Chair and 10 ordinary board members were also elected. They are Norah Burns, Rhiannon Clarke Downey, Vivienne Glanville, Mary Louise Lynch, Margaret Martin, Dr Jennifer Okeke, Shirley Scott, Christina Sherlock and Paula Soraghan.