NWCI in Limerick to discuss women and local government
Published: Tuesday, December 22, 2015
On 25 November, NWCI, co-hosted with Limerick branch of the National Collective of Community-based Women’s Networks LINK, a workshop in Limerick exploring how women’s voices can be more deeply embedded into local government plans and services. The workshop was aimed at community groups and local authority staff from Limerick and the surrounding counties, and provided a forum for participants to share information on how they engage with the new local alignment processes, the challenges and opportunities they’ve encountered, and how they might work together to achieve greater success.
The workshop was attended by almost 30 individuals, representing hundreds of disadvantaged and marginalised communities across Limerick, Clare and further afield. Participants were welcomed by Liz Price of LINK and Silke Paasche of NWCI. Our Membership Development Officer Eilís Ní Chaithnía led discussions on the context in which local authorities and community organisations are operating, in which the impacts of austerity are still widely and deeply felt among the women they are aiming to support. Eilís described the changes that have taken place in local authorities through the alignment process and the structures now in place through which community groups can raise the needs and concerns of socially excluded women.
Liz Price provided an insight into the experiences of the 17 members of the National Collective of Community-based Women’s Networks in engaging in those structures and what they have learned to date; Liz empathised with the challenges of navigating new and sometimes onerous structures, but stressed the importance of persisting in doing so.
Deirdre Toomey of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission finished the day with a presentation on the new public sector duty, a piece of legislation that requires public bodies to plan for and report on their efforts to progress equality and human rights through their operations.
Groups then gathered in breakout groups to consider their own experiences, to exchange advice and expertise and to consider how they could work together to improve impact and push for improvement in how the structures currently operate.
As a backdrop to the day, events and activities throughout the city of Limerick marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Silke Paasche of NWCI generously documented the workshop and a full report will be available in January, along with any presentations made on the day.