National Women’s Council calls for new National Strategy for Women and Girls

Published: Thursday, July 13, 2023

The National Women’s Council (NWC) today calls on government to address shortfalls in their implementation of the National Strategy for Women and Girls (NSWG) and to set out a timeframe for the publication of a new strategy. The publication of today’s independent report on evaluation of implementation processes of three equality strategies, including the NSWG, identified a number of gaps.

These included:

• A lack of prioritisation and clarity on implementation of strategy actions
• The absence of clear implementation plans
• Lack of an intersectional approach across and within the strategies, including for example, on meeting the particular needs of migrant women
• Lack of opportunity to amend strategy actions and respond to emerging needs, as required.

NWC Head of Development and Policy, Kate Mitchell, said:  

“Today’s report outlines a series of positive findings and recommendations, to inform the development of a new National Strategy for Women and Girls, such as enhanced collaboration with key stakeholders, robust implementation and monitoring mechanisms, development of clear actions and indicators and allocation of appropriate resources”.  

Importantly, the report published today, does not evaluate the achievement of strategy objectives or the implementation of individual strategy actions. It is vitally important that in addition to the development of any new strategy for women and girls, the Department completes a full and comprehensive evaluation of progress made on each of the actions committed to in the current strategy. This process will be necessary to ensure effective planning for any new strategy, including the development of new or existing actions and indicators.

“The development of a new strategy is an opportunity to further develop and progress key actions for women and girls on a range of issues to advance their equality. The report of the Citizen’s Assembly on Gender Equality provides a strong blueprint for achieving a gender equal Ireland, including a clear action plan, with timelines for implementation. This is something NWC would like to see mirrored in a new National Strategy for Women and Girls.”

ENDS

For more information, contact Catherine Hearn 087 196 5300

Notes to Editor

The report ‘Realising the promise of national equality policy’ was commissioned by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and evaluated progress to date of the National Strategy for Women and Girls, the Migrant Integration Strategy and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. It was completed by the Centre for Effective Services and aims to inform future policy development and implementation. 

About NWC  

The National Women’s Council is the leading national representative organisation for women and women’s groups in Ireland, founded in 1973. We have over 190 member groups and a large and growing community of individual supporters. 

This year we celebrate 50 years since our foundation with a special calendar of events and campaigns. 

The ambition of the National Women’s Council is an Ireland where every woman enjoys true equality and no woman is left behind. This ambition shapes and informs our work, and, with our living values, how we work.  

We are a movement-building organisation rooted in our membership, working on the whole island of Ireland. We are also part of the international movement to protect and advance women’s and girls’ rights. Our purpose is to lead action for the achievement of women’s and girls’ equality through mobilising, influencing, and building solidarity. Find out more on www.nwci.ie