The All-Island Women's Forum met yesterday in Monaghan for its second in person meeting of 2023. The session heard presentations from leading women's community sector organisations on the impact of funding cuts on the women's sector across the island.
Rachel Coyle is the National Women's Council Head of Campaigns and Mobilisation. Speaking to Northern Sound, she believes years of underinvestment has "significantly diminished" organisations' capacity for action and development.
As a result, she is calling on the relevant authorities from both sides of the border to develop "practical ways" to eradicate the issues created by funding gaps.
"Recent announcements of the halted EU funding has had a devastating effect on women’s sector groups in the North," she revealed. "The package announced by the UK government is not adequate to compensate for the loss of EU funding, meaning that women’s participation and representation in civic life is severely compromised.
"The loss of EU funding has led to the closure of several women’s centres and schemes, negatively impacting some of the most vulnerable groups in our society. Governments must recognise the role women and women’s groups continue to play in the wider community and voluntary sector and in the social fabric of communities, and resource them accordingly."
