The National Women’s Council of Ireland’s equality demands to Government are warmly received in Dund

Published: Monday, May 17, 2004

With a firm focus on the up-coming Local Elections on June 11th, 2004 - the National Women's Council of Ireland launched its manifesto 'Making Women's Voices Heard' in Dundalk this afternoon. The manifesto and the issues it highlights were positively received by a large and varied audience in the Fairways Hotel.

Representatives from all political parties in Louth, Meath, Monaghan and Cavan were in attendance, endorsing the manifesto and spoke openly and in support of the issues that they felt were most important to them and to their communities.

The manifesto, stating that women must have the right to participate equally in all aspects of political, social, and economic life and to be actively involved in the planning and decision-making that affects their lives, is to be used as a tool to lobby local and European election candidates.

In support of the launch, Mary Kelly, Chairwoman of the NWCI stated; "Women cannot be adequately represented by a vast majority of men in politics, nor can the diversity of women be represented by a tiny minority of women. One essential ingredient to change the balance is the political will of the electorate to redress this gross imbalance. The June elections are a wonderful opportunity to express this will in the ballot box.''

The manifesto received such a positive reaction, that the NWCI hopes that the people of Louth, Meath, Monaghan and Cavan will join with them in demanding action from ALL political parties around key equality issues for women throughout Ireland, over the coming weeks, and will use the manifesto to ask canvassing politicians key questions, when they call seeking votes.