WOMEN SURVIVING WOMEN SURVIVING WAR AND FORGING WAR AND FORGING

PEACE IN NORTHERN PEACE IN NORTHERN IRELANDIRELAND

REBECCA THOMAS – SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC AND LABOUR PARTY

THE NORTHERN IRELAND THE NORTHERN IRELAND ‘TROUBLES’ – a brief ‘TROUBLES’ – a brief

historyhistory• Ethno-national conflict – competing Ethno-national conflict – competing

conceptions of national identityconceptions of national identity• Over 30 years of violence - “The Troubles”Over 30 years of violence - “The Troubles”• 3,600 killed. 40,000 injured.3,600 killed. 40,000 injured.• Peace agreement reached 1998 - “The Good Peace agreement reached 1998 - “The Good

Friday Agreement” / Belfast AgreementFriday Agreement” / Belfast Agreement• Devolved parliament operational since 2007 – Devolved parliament operational since 2007 –

power-sharing Executive & the Northern power-sharing Executive & the Northern Ireland AssemblyIreland Assembly

• Success Story?Success Story?

WOMEN IN CONFLICTWOMEN IN CONFLICT• Women as VictimsWomen as Victims

– Relatively low number of Relatively low number of “direct victims” of violence: “direct victims” of violence: 323 out of over 3,600 killed323 out of over 3,600 killed

– High-profile cases: High-profile cases: Rosemary Nelson; Jean Rosemary Nelson; Jean McConvilleMcConville

– Many more women became Many more women became “indirect victims” of violence“indirect victims” of violence

– Bereavement, loss, Bereavement, loss, separationseparation

– ““Societal victims”Societal victims”

• Women as Women as CombatantsCombatants

– Active participantsActive participants

– Supporters of the “armed Supporters of the “armed struggle”struggle”

– Roles in paramilitary Roles in paramilitary organisations: Máiread organisations: Máiread Farrell; Republican Farrell; Republican Prisoners; “dirty protests”; Prisoners; “dirty protests”; hunger strikershunger strikers

– Supporting roles: safe Supporting roles: safe houses; messengers; houses; messengers; “Derry bin-bashers”“Derry bin-bashers”

WOMEN IN PEACEWOMEN IN PEACE• PEACE ACTIVISTSPEACE ACTIVISTS

– ““Women for Peace”Women for Peace”– ““The Peace People”The Peace People”

• Máiread Corrigan & Betty WilliamsMáiread Corrigan & Betty Williams• COMMUNITY ACTIVISTSCOMMUNITY ACTIVISTS

– Agents of peace through community Agents of peace through community developmentdevelopment

• POLITICAL ACTIVISTSPOLITICAL ACTIVISTS– Bernadette DevlinBernadette Devlin– Northern Ireland Women’s CoalitionNorthern Ireland Women’s Coalition

A ‘MALE’ PEACE A ‘MALE’ PEACE AGREEMENT?AGREEMENT?

• Male dominance in the peace negotiationsMale dominance in the peace negotiations

• 18 out of 108-member Northern Ireland 18 out of 108-member Northern Ireland Assembly are womenAssembly are women

• 4 women Ministers4 women Ministers

• 3 women Members of Parliament 3 women Members of Parliament

• 22% of elected local government 22% of elected local government representativesrepresentatives

A ‘Women’s Experience”? – A ‘Women’s Experience”? – Themes emerging from Themes emerging from

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland • There is no ‘homogenous female experience’ of There is no ‘homogenous female experience’ of

conflict or peaceconflict or peace• It is a fallacy that women are ‘natural peacemakers’It is a fallacy that women are ‘natural peacemakers’• Indirect support of violence and conflict Indirect support of violence and conflict • Men as peacemakersMen as peacemakers• Projecting the ‘peace-maker role’ on women may Projecting the ‘peace-maker role’ on women may

disguise inequities, barriers and obstacles to formal disguise inequities, barriers and obstacles to formal participation by women in peace-making at the participation by women in peace-making at the legislative, constitutional levellegislative, constitutional level

• Peace-building roles may reflect societal structuresPeace-building roles may reflect societal structures• Context of the conflict is vital to appreciating the Context of the conflict is vital to appreciating the

behaviour of women – and men.behaviour of women – and men.

Rebecca Thomas – Social Democratic and Labour Party