NWCI’s ‘Women for Change’ event celebrates women working for equality at local level
Published: Friday, September 13, 2019
Press Release
Date 12th September 2019
The National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI)’s ‘Women for Change’ event, held today, saw women from Limerick, North Cork, Mayo, Navan, Meath and Clare come together to celebrate their work to bring change at local level. The event marked the culmination of a year long NWCI project in which over 150 women participated. The women present reflected on the challenges that remain for full equality for Traveller women, women living in direct provision, and women experiencing domestic abuse in rural communities.
Giving the keynote address at the event, Louise Lovett, Board Member of the National Women’s Council of Ireland and CEO Longford Women’s Link, said:
”It is vital that we continue to invest in and resource the participation of women at local level so that women can meaningfully engage with decision makers and influence the decisions that affect their lives. This project clearly shows the appetite for spaces for women to come together to support each other, to strategize and share their knowledge and experience of working for change. It is essential that the necessary resources, including multi-annual funding, are made available for women’s groups to support real and meaningful participation for all women. It is particularly important that local groups can reach women who are marginalised or disadvantaged, and support them to develop their influencing capacity, which will ultimately improve decision making in at all levels of government and civil society.”
Tara Farrell, Deputy CEO of Longford Womens Link, said:
“Longford Women’s Link are delighted to be involved in the Women for Change programme – our Women’s Manifesto model has long championed the need for supports for women to engage in local democratic structures and The Women for Change programme is a great example of how grassroots groups working together can effect change. It is critical that all of our organisations and programmes continue this long term vision of ensuring a sustainable pathway for women into political and public life.”
An advocacy and campaigning resource has been developed to support activism work carried out by women and will be launched at the event.
Copies of the resource are available here: https://www.nwci.ie/learn/publication/women_for_change_a_resource_for_womens_groups_and_women_working_for_social
For more information, please contact Catherine Lane, Women in Local, Community and Rural Development Officer on 087 1462038
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Notes to editor
A network of organisations came together to support the implementation of the project. These included; Community Work Ireland, National Collective of Community Based Womens Network, IRD Duhallow/Duhallow Womens Forum, National Traveller Womens Forum, Longford Womens Link, Women4Women/Southside Partnership, Cultur Migrant Project, West Clare Family Resource Centre and Carlow County Development Partnership