Susan McKay’s speech at the launch of the Irish NAP on Resolution 1325

Published: Thursday, December 01, 2011

The National Women's Council of Ireland is proud to play a part in the launch of the Irish National Action Plan on UN Resolution 1325. It is a fine plan, and it has already been welcomed by African women in Ireland through the person of Salome Mbugwa, director of Akidwa and deputy chairperson of the Women's Council.
I am here to represent the civil society organisations which took part in the consultation process which led to this NAP. They include Amnesty, Trocaire, the Irish Red Cross, Akidwa and the National Women's Council.
We collectively commend the government publishing this document, and for inviting us to contribute - we know the civil servants often wished they hadn't, but we did ultimately work well and constructively together to produce a NAP which is, in significant ways, unique.
There are many women in Ireland today who have experienced rape and other forms of gender based violence in their own persons or in their families and communities in Rwanda, Congo, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Bosnia and other countries. Ireland is the first developed country to recognise in its NAP a duty of care towards these women. I believe that the government did this because the civil society groups brought the voices of these women to the table, and they were compelling voices.
They reminded us of the devastating effects of gender based violence, and also that in many countries, women are still at risk of appalling sexual violence at the hands of militias, armies and, indeed, at the hands of armed men in their own families and communities. The work of the Consortium and of Irish Aid will be crucially important in ensuring that our NAP contributes to meaningful international interventions to stop this violence.

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