Launch of NIRWN

Friday 19 January 2007

Friday 19 January 2007

10.45am

1pm

Glenavon House Hotel- Cookstown

0

Event

NIRWN is a new rural network and is jointly funded by DARD and DSD under the EU BSP Programme until the end of June 2008. Many years of work have been put into seeking a regional infrastructure for rural women and this network will sit alongside three other women’s organisations, WRDA, WSN and Derry Women’s Centre with all four comprising a new infrastructure for the Women’s Sector in line with the recommendations of the Government Review Report.

This Network, as a new organisation, has an exciting programme of work including:

• developing weak community infrastructure in areas where little or no community based rural women’s groups exist,
• increasing rural women’s capacity and opportunities to influence decision-making and policy formulation,
• running Northern Ireland wide communication campaigns with a local focus, highlighting the value of rural women’s contribution, and;
• offering a training and capacity building programme to rural women across the region.

Rural women’s activities have been the backbone of rural community life, in terms of supporting farming and families and preserving the social capital of communities. This activity has often been viewed as a secondary activity which is not recognised or valued at the decision making or policy level. Rural women have also been instrumental in taking risks, particularly in sensitive areas such as community relations and again a large percentage of this work has gone unrecognised or has not had the policy voice to support its development.

NIRWN hopes to become the voice of all rural women across Northern Ireland and will be of assistance to local groups by helping bring their voices closer to decision makers. The Network will offer a more strategic support system to rural women across the North and will engage fully with all existing Women’s Networks, women’s groups and other organisations representing rural women. We have a remit also to work with the existing women’s organisations, WRDA, WSN and Derry Women’s Centre and Women’s Centres in the rural areas. Together we can make a difference to the lives of women in their local communities and ensure that equality and equity are to the fore in policy and decision making in the future.

We firmly believe that the organisation will fully meet its objectives only through partnership and collaborative working and we look forward to working with the many organisations right across NI that have an impact on and input into the lives of rural women.