Local women being excluded from international treaty, says Nicholl

Councillor Kate Nicholl described the current deadlock at Stormont effectively meant Northern Ireland women continue to be omitted from the UK’s response to a consultation on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Councillor Nicholl, Convener of Alliance’s Women’s Group, has now written to Women and Equalities Minister Justine Greening to call on the involvement of all regions of the UK in the response.

“The CEDAW Committee has previously recommended further engagement with women in Northern Ireland. As it stands, no consultation was held in Northern Ireland and therefore local women’s voices will be excluded from the UK submission to the Committee, which is extremely disappointing.

“Then Foreign Secretary William Hague stated in 2010 “No lasting peace can be achieved after conflict unless the needs of women are met”. Women here are not having an active involvement in having their needs articulated and therefore our voices are not being heard in a wider context.

“Alliance Women’s Group wants to make sure the issue of women, peace and security is a priority, with an action plan to ensure women across the whole of the UK are included, as well as ensuring women’s contributions to the peace are recognised and their needs met.

“Without an Executive, those voices are not being articulated. We need a functioning Government to represent us on a national level and ensure women here are not excluded from the important benefits available to them.”