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Development Plan - 2001-2003
CHAIRPERSONS’
REPORT
Over the past 12 years, the National Traveller Women’s Forum has been active in promoting human rights and equality for Traveller women throughout Ireland. The work of the NTWF has primarily involved the provision of opportunities for Traveller women and settled women working with them to come together, to explore issues of relevance and develop strategies and actions In 1998, the NTWF for the first time received funding to employ a part-time coordinator to develop the work of the organisation. Up to this point all of the work of the organisation was undertaken by Traveller women and Traveller groups active at a local and national level. This involvement has continued and is extremely important in ensuring the effectiveness of our work and in building ownership of the organisation amongst our members. The past three years witnessed a range of developments at local, national and international levels, which have impacted on the nature and extent of the work of the National Traveller Women's Forum. New challenges and opportunities have continued to be presented and the NTWF have responded through active engagement in a range of activities directed at addressing and challenging the on-going exclusion of Traveller women in Irish society and the racism and sexism which they are continuously forced to face. These developments have included: At Local Level
·
The
on-going development of Traveller women's groups and the growth in the
numbers of Traveller women's groups dispersed throughout urban and rural
Ireland and a growing demand for support and capacity building measures. ·
Increased
participation of Traveller women in the work of local Traveller organisations
and in representing Traveller and Traveller women's interests in various
local policy making arenas including - Local Traveller Accommodation
Consultative Committees, Regional Traveller Health Units, Area - Based
Partnership and Community Group structures, local Community For a, regional
Planning Committees on Violence Against Women etc. At National
Level
·
The
involvement of the community sector in the negotiation and monitoring
of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness ·
The
development of the report of the Monitoring Committee of the Task Force
on the Traveller Community and the on-going work of Task Force implementation
committees. ·
The
passing of the Equal Status Act and the development of the equality
infrastructure at national level including the work of the National
Consultative Committee on Racism and Inter-culturalism and the Equality
Authority. ·
The
changing demographic structure of Irish society and the increase in
the numbers of women from minority ethnic groups now living here. At International Level ·
The
review of the Beijing Platform for Action. ·
The
Irish preparations for the third World Conference Against Racism. ·
The
development of the European Network Against Racism and the work of the
European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Interculturalism. There is an urgent need for additional resources to support the work of the NTWF which to date has been undertaken with particular effort commitment and much overtime on the part of our three part-time workers. Securing core funding, adequate office space and programme budgets will therefore be a priority over the coming period. The following three-year plan outlines the principal work areas, which the NTWF hopes to undertake over the next three years. It is the result of a planning process which involved the organisation of two day event for staff, management and NTWF representatives and four regional consultation sessions with members of the NTWF to identify key issues being addressed at local level and ascertain priorities to be pursued at nationally. Mary O' Donoghue - Co-chair Biddy Kavanagh – Co-chair
INTRODUCTION
The National Traveller Women's Forum (NTWF) was established in 1988. It was established in response to a growing awareness on the part of Traveller women and Traveller organisations of the need for an organisation with the capacity to develop an analysis of the position of Traveller women in Irish society and to develop strategies which address their particular concerns. The National Traveller Women’s Forum is an alliance of Traveller women and Traveller organisations from throughout Ireland which aims to; Work collectively to challenge the racism and sexism experienced by Traveller women and promote Traveller women’s right to self determination, the attainment of human rights and equality within society. The situation of Traveller women in Ireland remains one of extreme marginalisation, isolation, poor health and low educational achievement. Despite many advances being made in Ireland with regard to equality measures and a new equality infrastructure, Traveller women’s position has improved little and in many instances has worsened particularly when viewed in a comparative way with their settled sisters. The active and meaningful participation of Traveller women in decision making processes which affect their lives is of primary importance if policies and strategies to address their concerns are to lead to positive outcomes for them. A commitment to resourcing this participation, supporting the inclusion of Traveller women, specific targeting of Traveller women and monitoring the impact and effect of policies on Traveller women will clearly be required. “Traveller women should be represented on any monitoring mechanisms established to review progress for women to ensure that all equality policies have a direct positive impact on Traveller women” First Progress Report of the Committee to Monitor and Co-ordinate the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Task Force on the Travelling Community. “The equitable distribution of power and decision-making at all levels is dependent on Governments and other actors undertaking statistical gender analysis and mainstreaming a gender perspective in policy development and the implementation of programmes. Equality in decision-making is essential to the empowerment of women.” Beijing Platform for Action The National Traveller Women’s Forum is committed to supporting this participation.
NTWF - A COMMUNITY ORGANISATION
The National Traveller Women's Forum strives to work from the principles of community work and promote equality, an appreciation of diversity and human rights in all of our activities. Community work enables people to play a role in shaping the society of which they are a part and works towards assisting groups and communities experiencing poverty and exclusion, to articulate their needs and views and to take part in collective action to influence the processes that structure their every day lives. Community work is founded on a number of key principles which are inform the work of the NTWF, these involve: ·
Working collectively to bring about a change
in the position of Traveller women as opposed to addressing individual
situations. ·
Working in solidarity with Traveller women. ·
Identifying strategies to address the causes
of the oppression of Traveller women. ·
Building solidarity with other communities
and organisations working to promote justice and equality. ·
Challenging racism, sexism and all forms
of prejudice and discrimination. ·
Involving and empowering Traveller women
to be actively involved in the work of NTWF.
AN ANTI-RACIST APPROACH
Racism is "any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life". - UN Definition of racial discrimination - International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination. Racism is about prejudice and an abuse of power and control at individual and institutional level. Racism promotes discrimination, fuels hatred and leads to divided societies, poverty, conflict and potentially, violence. The manifestation of racism has a particularly detrimental impact on the lives of women from minority ethnic groups who experience a combination of racism and sexism which ensures their on-going marginalisation and oppression. The National Traveller Women's Forum acknowledges the persistence of racism against Traveller women and seeks to challenge racism and support the development of effective mechanisms for the elimination of racism in all of it's forms.
AN ANTI-SEXIST APPROACH
Anti- sexism involves an acknowledgment of the differences in power and control between women and men. It involves an understanding of the various forms of oppression which women experience and of the structural processes which underpin this oppression. An anti-sexist approach promotes such an understanding and challenges the nature of a patriarchal society. Anti-sexism is also about acknowledging the differences in power which exist between women e.g. between Traveller women and settled women and seeks to build solidarity between women in order to bring about change for all women.
MANAGEMENT
The NTWF is managed by a co-ordinating group composed of Traveller and settled women who oversee the running of the organisation and are responsible for staff issues, ensuring that the aims, objectives and principles of the organisation are adhered to, financial matters and accounting procedures, strategic planning and evaluation. The development of work-plans and policy is also assisted through the organisation of regional membership consultation meetings. Co-ordinating Group Members Biddy
Kavanagh - Tullamore Travellers
Movement
MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the NTWF is open to Traveller women and Traveller groups from throughout Ireland, which work to promote the aim and objectives of the NTWF and the principles outlined above. Membership currently stands at 70 Traveller women's groups with 40 individual Traveller women who are not currently part of a local group also having joined.
WORK
AREAS 2001 - 2003
The following
section of the plan outlines the key objectives of the National Traveller
women's Forum and the actions which will undertaken towards meeting
these objectives over the coming period. 1. To actively support Traveller women to come together, examine and analyse the issues affecting them and develop policies and strategies to address these issues in order to effect change. Actions
to be undertaken
a) Networking
events at Local, Regional and National level - These will be
thematically based and focus on priorities identified by local Traveller
women's groups themselves. At national level, opportunities will
continue to be provided to bring membership together. b) Continued development
of the NTWF Women's Network Group - This group comprises
approximately 20 Traveller women from throughout the country who are
actively involved in community work with Travellers at local and national
level. The NTWF will continue to support this group and will aim
to expand the group over the coming 3 years. c) Reviewing
existing structures and examining the possibility of establishing
regional networks - networks will be established if requested by
local groups in a region and will serve to enhance the work of Traveller
women's groups through information exchange and the organisation of
joint activities. d) Provision
of human rights education to Traveller women and develop
links with other human rights organisations in Ireland and abroad. This
will also involve the production and dissemination of human rights information
materials of relevance to Traveller women and the development of linkages
and joint actions with the Human Rights Commission. e) Establishment of task groups -
The NTWF consultation process highlighted the importance of establishing
task groups to assist in the development of the work of the organization
- to build broader ownership of the work of NTWF and support and enhance
work of staff. f)
Development of a National Policy Forum- The forum will bring together Traveller women who are representing
Traveller women's interests in policy arenas at local and national level. Meetings of the Forum will assist Traveller
women and Traveller women's representatives in developing priorities
and strategies in relation to relevant policy areas. g) Annual
Forum Days - The NTWF will continue to host an Annual
Forum Day. We will explore
the possibility of holding these events in different parts of the country. h) Thematic round-tables at local level- These
will be organised in order to assist Traveller women's groups to develop
their work in a strategic and coordinated way. j)
Continued organization of the Traveller Health Network- The NTWF has taken responsibility for
convening the Traveller Health Network and will continue to do so during
this period.
2. To continue to facilitate and support Traveller women to take up key
positions and leadership roles within the Traveller community, within
the National Traveller Women’s Forum and within other arenas in
society. Actions to be undertaken
a) Capacity Building - with Traveller women and Traveller
women's groups. To support this work, the NTWF have submitted a proposal
to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform - Women's Equality
Measure which focuses on building the capacity of Traveller women to
represent their concerns on Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative
Committees, Local Traveller Health Units and Regional Planning Committees
on Violence Against Women.. b) Supporting
the development of a national strategyto address
the educational disadvantage of Traveller women - This work will be
done through our continued participation on the National Advisory Committee
on Traveller Education. c)
Support for establishment and development
of local Traveller women's groups - on-going support
will be provided to Traveller women's group re. the design of training
programmes, the development of work plans and other aspects of their
work. d)
Development of training resources- During this period, the NTWF will prioritise the
publication of training resource materials for Traveller women's groups.
e)
Production and publication of briefing
papersand strategy documents
- these will be produced on a range of topics to assist those representing
the interests of Traveller women at local and national level.
Papers will focus on the themes of Traveller women and accommodation,
Traveller women and health, Violence against Traveller women, Traveller
women and Life Long Learning and Traveller women in the local development
process. f)
The development of a training for trainers programme –This will be designed and delivered by NTWF members and staff in an effort
to promote an anti-racist, anti-sexist, community work approach to work
with Traveller women. g)
Provision of support to Traveller women participating in 3rd level
community and youth work education and training programmes - priority
will be given to supporting the Traveller women currently participating
on the Diploma in Community and Youth Work at NUI Maynooth.
3. To network and develop solidarity with the feminist, anti - racist and
community development movements at local, national and international
level and promote solidarity between Traveller, settled and minority
ethnic women. Actions to be undertaken a)
Development of further links with
the National Women's Council of Ireland - We will explore the
possibility of developing joint actions regarding women and racism. b)
Working towards the further development
of the Women's Pro-Beijing Coalition to monitor, from an NGO perspective, the implementation
of Government commitments made at the Fourth UN World Conference on
Women in 1995. c)
Building links and developing joint
actions and agendas with asylum seeker
and refugee women's groups at local and national level. d)
Maintaining contact and developing
joint actions with the ITM and Pavee
Point. e)
Continuing to participate pro-actively
in the activities of
the Community Pillar and the Community Platform. f)
Development of further
links with the European Network
Against Racism, The European Roma Rights Centre and the European Monitoring
Centre on Racism and Xenophobia towards promoting a gender dimension
to their work. g)
Continuing to participate on the Community
Worker's Co-operative's central, women's and community sector sub-groups.
4. To develop and articulate a clear analysis of the relationship between
sexism and racism and promote a Traveller women’s agenda in all
aspects of policy relevant to them. Actions
to be undertaken
a)
Participation on policy For and with a particular emphasis on - The implementation
of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness - The implementation
of the Report of the Task Force on the Traveller Community and the progress
report of the Task Force Monitoring Committee - The implementation
of the Beijing Platform for Action and the development of the - - National
Action Plan for Women. - The World Conference
on Racism 2001 b)
Research - During this period, the NTWF will establish a Research
and Publications task group to oversee the undertaking of a number research
projects by the NTWF. c) Development of policy position papers- The NTWF will continue to make submissions to Government
on a range of issues of relevance to Travellers with a particular emphasis
on the concerns of Traveller women. d) Continued representation on the National Consultative Committee on Racism
and Interculturalism - The NTWF will
continue to participate on the women's and international sub-groups
of the NCCRI as well as on the committee itself. In addition, the NTWF
will actively engage in preparations for the 3rd World Conference
on Racism to be held in South Africa in 2001 and will seek to participate
at the conference. e)
Supporting NTWF reps.on various policy
committees - NTWF representatives will be provided with opportunities
to feed back and receive support from members at regular stages. These
meetings will be important in assessing our effectiveness and giving
a clear and supported mandate to the representatives of the NTWF. f)
Organisation of seminars - Once-off
mini seminars will be held on specific policy themes in order to strengthen
the up take of a Traveller women's dimension in policy areas at local
and national level. g)
National Conference on gender and
racism - The NTWF will hold
a major national conference on the theme of women and racism. h)
Lobbying for the inclusion of gender
impact statementsin all policies
developed, which are of relevance to Traveller women - This will be
done, in the main through utilising the role of the Monitoring Committee
of the Task Force on the Travelling Community. i)
Establishment of a mechanism for
the documentation of human rights abuses of Traveller women when they
occur - To this end, the NTWF will liaise with the Human
Rights Commission, the Equality Authority and the Irish Council for
Civil Liberties. j) Monitoring the implementation of international commitments
made which are of relevance to Traveller women- The NTWF will seek representation on relevant monitoring
committees and work to ensure the appropriate inclusion of Traveller
women in the forth coming National Action Plan on women.
5. To celebrate the role played by Traveller women in
the promotion of human rights for their community. Actions to be undertaken (a)
Production of publicity materials- involving the design and publication of a new poster,
brochure, newsletter and web - site ( an important development in the
current technology climate) - to build the profile of the NTWF and raise
awareness of the issues which we are working to address. (b) Publication on the theme of 'Contemporary Traveller Women'- Profiling the lives of a number of Traveller women
activists in Ireland in order to highlight the positive role played
by Traveller women in the struggle for Traveller rights. (c)
Production of a Traveller
women's CD - The tradition of music and son has always been strong
in the Traveller community - the CD would involve a collection of music
and song from Traveller women creating a space for Traveller women to
celebrate and promote their tradition and talent in this area. (d)
Highlighting in the media,the positive work done by Traveller women - Through the Citizen Traveller Campaign and ongoing
press releases and so on. (e)
Maintaining our involvement in the
Citizen Traveller Campaign and ensuring
a particular focus on Traveller women during the coming 3 years. (f)
Development of a media monitoring
system- A formal monitoring
system will be put in place involving a particular focus on the portrayal
of Traveller women in the media (g)
Production of a video on young Traveller women- designed by and featuring young Traveller women in
a variety of situations, to document their stories and illustrate the
many difference which exist amongst Traveller women. (h) Working with Pavee Pointon the production of a video on older Traveller women.
6. To promote the uptake a Traveller women’s agenda
within Traveller groups and women’s groups at local, regional
and national level. Actions to be undertaken
a) Networking - with women's organisations at local,
national and international level b) Inputting into the National Action Plan for Women - The NTWF will seek to influence the NAP through the
development of a submission and the organisation of a seminar in association
with the NCCRI women's sub-group. c) Work with ITM and Pavee Point towards the development of gender proofing and gender
monitoring mechanisms. d) Establishment of an advisory committee for the development of training and capacity building
programmes to include the NWCI and other women's organisations. e) Production and dissemination of information on issues of relevance to Traveller women i.e. newsletter,
publications etc. - in order to ensure that the needs and concerns of
Traveller women are heard and inform the work of those working with
Traveller women at local level. f) Provision of
support to local and national women's groups wishing to
establish and implement anti-racist codes of practice.
Management Training
and Development - To ensure on-going meaningful Traveller
Women's Participation at management level as well as the development
of enhanced skills and management capabilities of all management committee
members. Organisational
Development - The NTWF will review our organisational structures
with a view to enhancing and building Traveller women's participation
and ownership of the NTWF. This may involve an examination of the possibility
of establishing regional networks. Consultation - The NTWF will
undertake a range of consultative actions towards the development and
implementation of our work plans.
In addition, the hosting of round table discussions and seminars
will impact on policies developed by the NTWF as well as those promoted
and pursued at statutory level. Evaluation and Review - The NTWF is
committed to reviewing our work on an on-going basis. 3 review meetings per year will therefore
be held with NTWF staff and management to assess our effectiveness in
implementing our work plan and the processes used in doing so. In addition, an
overall evaluation of the work of the NTWF will be undertaken in year
3. The evaluation will draw attention to the strengths and weaknesses
of the organisation and make recommendations as to changes required
in order to maximise our potential and further promote positive outcomes
for Traveller women from the work of the NTWF.
CONCLUSION
This plan is an ambitious one and yet it is clear
that each of the actions outlined requires particular attention and
a commitment to implementation. Clearly, the success of our work depends, not only on the commitment
and dedication of those charged with the responsibility of implementing
this plan, but also on the acquisition of adequate resources to support
it. The organisation will therefore prioritise securing such resources
during this period. The NTWF is challenged to implement this plan in a way, which ensures
the ownership and active participation of Traveller women and the building
of further solidarity between Traveller women and settled women throughout
Ireland. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
