National Plan for Women welcomed: the NWCI will monitor its implementation

Published: Sunday, September 30, 2001

'The National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) welcomes the draft National Plan for Women (2001-2005), the commitment to produce such a plan stems from the UN World Conference on Women in 1995' said Ms. Gráinne Healy, NWCI Chairwoman. 'For the first time, the Government has published in one document, a comprehensive list of existing commitments for women's equality. The final National Plan for Women will enable us to monitor the success of the Government in devising clear mechanisms to implement its promises' said Ms. Healy. 'We will be conducting a consultation process on the draft plan with our members over the next six weeks' she continued.

'The Beijing Platform for Action, to which the Irish Government signed up in 1995, stressed the importance of the involvement of women's non-governmental organisations (NGOs,) in drawing up and implementing the National Plan for Women' stated Ms. Healy. 'The NWCI will be specifically lobbying to ensure that women's organisations are involved in the implementation process of the final plan' added Ms. Healy.

She went on to say that the NWCI will be seeking the delivery of long-term commitments such as equal pay, redressing the gender imbalance in the civil service and measures to increase the number of women involved in decision-making. 'Other areas, which we hope to see concluded in the five year time frame of the final plan include, an end to women's poverty, accessible and affordable childcare, economic support for those on low pay, an end to violence against women and the introduction of paid parental leave' declared Ms. Healy. 'The commitment to, and delivery of funding for the women's sector, as partners in implementing the plan must be guaranteed in the final plan, if gender equality is to be achieved' concluded Ms. Healy.