Inclusion, Equality


Women

One aspect of The Troubles we did not talk about much was the gender dynamic before, during and after The Troubles. There was a huge focus on men and boys, but not much discussion on women in Northern Ireland. It seems to me that besides class division, there is also gender division where women are experiencing inequality as well. When we look at this through an intersectional lens, women in the working class seem to have little to no freedom in Northern Ireland, especially before and during the Troubles, with little change today.

This picture represents an acknowledgement that women's voices matter and an equal Northern Ireland means gender equality as well. Although the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition (NIWC) was included in discussions about the Good Friday Agreement, there has been little change in gender equality since then. Politically, representation and gender-based violence has not been at the forefront of decision-makers agendas, however, abortion policy, in particular discussing women's right to choose, has been (Pierson, 2017). It seems though that women have finally gotten a step in the right direction again with the most recent vote for reproductive health - a yes to women's reproductive rights and abortion freedom.

Pierson, C. (2017). One Step Forwards, Two Steps Back: Women's Rights 20 Years after the Good Friday Agreement. Parliamentary Affairs., 71(2), 461-481.

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