In December last year the United Kingdom Government took a potentially significant step forward in agreeing to establish a range of mechanisms to deal with the past in Northern Ireland. The Stormont House Agreement that provides for these mechanisms presents a unique opportunity to finally deal with the past in Northern Ireland in an effective manner. However, there is a very real risk that the experiences of women will once again be ignored.
To address this risk, the Gender Principles for Dealing with the Legacy of the Past (‘The Principles’)1 will be launched at Stormont House on 15 December 2015. These principles set out a framework for ensuring that mechanisms established pursuant to the Stormont House Agreement do not ignore the experiences of women in Northern Ireland. The Principles have been formulated following consultations with Northern Irish women affected by the conflict, including those who have suffered bereavement.
Members of the independent initiative who drafted the principles stated:
“Women have too long been the silent victims of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Their experiences have been ignored and their voices silenced. The Stormont House Agreement provides a unique opportunity to finally deal with the past in Northern Ireland in an effective manner but it is essential that the voices and experiences of women are included. We call on the UK Government to ensure that the mechanisms established pursuant to the Stormont House Agreement take account of the experiences of women. To guide this process, we will be launching Gender Principles for Dealing with the Legacy of the Past on 15 December 2015 at Stormont House, Northern Ireland.”
ENDS
For further information contact info@rightsandsecurity.org
Notes for Editors:
1These Principles were drafted by an informal network of women with gender expertise drawn from civil society organisations and academia. These women are Claire Hackett (Falls Community Council), Yasmine Ahmed (Rights Watch UK), Emma PattersonBennet and Gemma McKeown (Committee on the Administration of Justice), Mary McCallan (WAVE Trauma Centre), Andreé Murphy (Relatives for Justice), Catherine O’Rourke (Transitional Justice Institute, Ulster University), Patricia Lundy, (IRiSS, Ulster University) and Leah Wing (University of Massachusetts -Amherst).
