Developments within Local Development and Local Government sectors present a wide range of opportunities and challenges for women and women’s groups to engage meaningfully and have their voices heard in local participatory democratic processes and structures. The reform of local government as laid out in the Local Government Reform Act 2014 envisaged the development of a “coherent and integrated approach to local and community development”.  Key mechanisms for providing such coherence include the establishment by all Local Authorities of a Local and Community Development Committee and the development of Local Economic and Community Plans. The aim is to bring greater co-ordination on an area-basis to publicly-funded programmes and to oversee administration efficiencies across the local development landscape, while drawing on the capacity of local government and the experience, perspective and expertise of local and community actors in the relevant local authority area in programme delivery.

We work to ensure that women’s equality and women’s rights are placed at the heart of local government reform and alignment processes and advocate for women’s participation and representation in local life. We do this through strategic analysis, lobbying and negotiation with a particular emphasis on building alliances in both statutory and non-statutory sector to advance NWCI strategic objectives in the areas of local development and local government.  We work with and support the relevant government agencies and departments to facilitate local authorities in making local government structures and programmes more accountable and responsive to women. We also engage with our membership and key stakeholders to take collective action in ensuring that the experiences of marginalised women are informing and influencing programmes, policies and decision making at a local level.

This work is supported by The Scheme to Support National Organisations and is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Rural and Community Development.