E Library Resources
All resources are available for immediate download. We aim to bring you links to all the latest research and reports relevant to local women.
Women's Resource & Development Agency, Children in Northern Ireland and Women's Information Northern Ireland joint response to OFMDFM's "Delivering Social Change Through Childcare" Strategy, November 2015
A selection of people recount their childcare arrangements to illustrate the need for universal childcare in Northern Ireland.
NIRWN's consultation response to OFMDFM's "Delivering Social Change Through Childcare" Strategy, November 2015
Explores childcare demand among ethnic minority groups in Northern Ireland.
Sets out the framework, principles and a range of key first actions to help deliver the Executive’s vision for childcare. A more comprehensive childcare strategy is set to follow shortly.
Provides a critical examination of the Northern Ireland Executive's latest childcare policy document, Bright Start, from the perspective of women in disadvantaged and rural areas.
Provides a comparative study of childcare policies.
Estimates the economic ramifications of providing universal childcare in Northern Ireland using cost-benefit analysis.
Reviews childcare costs in Northern Ireland
Summarises on an annual basis the latest figures on the cost of childcare.
Reviews the nature of government support for childcare costs within universal credit.
Childcare for All's annual report into the cost of childcare in Northern Ireland.
January 2019
Puts forward new standards developed to provide assurance of a consistent level of quality in childminding and day care services, and also to ensure a consistent regional approach to registration and inspection.
Sets out the type, extent and delivery of childcare provision necessary to maximise the economic participation of women within Northern Ireland.
Presents a roadmap for the development of early years, childcare and family support services for Northern Ireland.
Reviews international research evidence on the relationship between gender and education.
Explores women's community education provision as a key component of Northern Ireland's active and vibrant community learning sector.
Draws on research carried out during throughout the first half of 2014 to identify gaps and unmet needs in education and training affecting women in disadvantaged and rural areas.
Provides an overview of how programmes for a ‘hard to reach’ target group can be delivered successfully in a women’s centre setting.
Draws learning from a range of projects and initiatives in Northern Ireland and beyond in working towards de-segregating the workforce through facilitating the access of women to non-traditional occupations.
Outlines issues facing minority ethnic women wanting to secure employment, while making a number of recommendations. Also compares and contrasts the experiences of the integration of minority ethnic women in business across the island of Ireland.
Explores key educational inequalities across the equality grounds in Northern Ireland.
The Women into Non-Traditional Sectors (WINS) project led by Belfast City Council and the Equal at Work project in Dublin, both part-funded by the EU Equal Initiative, commissioned research into mechanisms for brining women into non-traditional occupations north and south. Training for Women Network (TWN) carried out the work for Northern Ireland and the Women’s Education Resource and Research Centre (WERRC) at University College Dublin (UCD) carried out the research for the Republic of Ireland.
Investigates the barriers to participation faced by women from minority ethnic backgrounds in starting up and conducting businesses in Northern Ireland, encompassing issues for businesses in general, issues for women and issues for members of minority ethnic groups.
Contains information on the economic status of women in Northern Ireland from the most recent quarterly labour force survey.
Evaluates the affect of careers education, careers guidance and other provision on the aspirations and choices of girls and young women.
A formal investigation into the treatment of pregnant workers and mothers in Northern Ireland's workplaces.
A leaflet looking at employer's duty towards pregnant employees and maternity leave.
Comprehensively evaluates the Live and Learn Project, which has run throughout the last five years and offers training, support and events for women through 14 women's centres based in local communities across Northern Ireland.
Reviews the representation of women in positions of power in Northern Ireland and examines a selection of recent policy developments with regard to their impacts on women
Contains concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the UK from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.
A guide to best practice on involving women in public consultations.
Includes summaries of speeches, workshop discussions and policy recommendations given at a conference around the theme of bringing a gender awareness to the Shared Future agenda.
Explores the nature of the UK gender pay gap from 1995 to 2007 using data from the British Household Panel Survey.
Seeks to understand why Northern Ireland performs well on measures of the gender pay gap compared to the rest of the UK and examines what can be learnt from this.
Looks at the extent to which EU Member Statesand EEA/EFTA countries have developed gender equality considerations in their policies designed for the active inclusion of vulnerable groups in society. The report provides concrete policy examples across the three pillars of the active inclusion strategy, these being adequate income support, inclusive labour markets and access to quality services.
The network publishes a yearly Journal covering a wide range of topics in the field.
This paper seeks to demonstrate the need and benefit of women-only services across Northern Ireland as well as providing the women’s community and voluntary sector with a tool to lobby for funding as well as to highlight the uniqueness and benefits of women-only services, not just for women but families and the community as a whole.
Uses statistics to show the nature of participation of women in Northern Ireland in the labour market.
Summarises the current issues that matter most to local women based on views gathered at the launch of the Women's Regional Consortium in February 2014.
Proposes and details a conceptual framework to set out how equality responsive budgeting can be used within budgetary processes to further assist public authorities in promoting equality of opportunity and good relations.
Summarises the background to women’s representation in politics, outlines the legislative frameworks relevant to women’s representation in the Northern Ireland Assembly and reviews some mechanisms for increasing female representation.
A report on a pilot project seeking to develop a rights based approach to women's empowerment.
Examines current progress towards action plan commitments at the mid-term point of the Gender Equality Strategy.
The paper summarises statistics on gender representation in decision-making positions in Northern Ireland.The statistics are set out in simplified tables to offer an at-a-glance view of gender and power in Northern Ireland.
Brings together qualitative research into women’s experience of violence in Northern Ireland.
Describes the role of women living in disadvantaged communities and details the barriers that make it difficult for women to fulfil their potential or participate fully in society.
Comprises an audit of the work of WSN members in Europe.
Puts fowards the findings of a conference on global feminism.
Reviews the condition of gender equality and empowerment of women/girls in the UK in respect of UN member state sustainable development goals.
A graphical timeline of gender equality in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
A series of demands on gender equality issues, directed at local descision makers.
This paper sets gender in the context of both policy and practice, providing challenges to gender based work with young women and young men, as well as providing recommendations for policy developments in helping young people to understand and challenge the impact that gender has upon their lives.
examines the effectiveness of current mental health provision in Northern Ireland
explores how ethnonational conflict in the jurisdiction has adversely impact mental health and wellbeing
A report on the growing issue of people ageing without children in light of government assumptions that families will fill the gaps in social care.
seeks to measure the mental health impact of ethnonational conflict in the jurisdiction
examines the mental health and suicide impact of global recession
Assesses the evidence of the impact of the Northern Ireland conflict on mental health and well-being, with particular emphasis on suicide.
Explores the trans-generational impact of the Troubles on mental health
assesses the impact of austerity on the mental wellbeing of women in Liverpool
outlines health inequalities in Northern Ireland between the most and least deprived areas
A leaflet prepared by HereNI discussing fertility options for Lesbian individuals and couples.
Analyses the Breast and Cervical Screening Programme and Sexual Health for Parents programme delivered by WRDA.
Examines evidence for interventions to promote gender equality in prevention of violence against women.
presents survey findings on women’s experiences of antenatal and postnatal mental health care.
Explores the relationship between gender equality, domestic violence and human rights in the Northern Ireland case.
Examines the relationship between substance misuse and suicide within the context of Northern Ireland.
Examines the impact of loneliness on the well being of older people and potential policy and service interventions to address same.
Attempts to measure social exclusion among older people in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland (NI) and fill critical knowledge gaps.
A discussion note on the potential role of the UK parliament in introducing Abortion reform to NI.
Investigates the rights of older people in nursing homes in Northern Ireland.
Explores the trans-generational impact of the Troubles on mental health
Discusses the role of the UK Parliament in regards to Abotion in NI.
outlines health inequalities in Northern Ireland between the most and least deprived areas
Contains headline poverty figures drawn from the latest Households Below Average Income datasets for the period April 2011 up to the end of March 2012.
Identifies and analyses evidence on the links between gender and poverty and examines the impact of these links on policy approaches.
Examines in detail what has happened in Northern Ireland since the recession in terms of poverty and social exclusion.
Examines the findings of a number of projects examining the associations between jobs, skills and poverty, with a view to identifying ‘sustainable solutions’ to in-work poverty and worklessness.
presents findings on the impact of the United Kingdom recession on suicide rates
Presents projections of relative and absolute income poverty among children and working-age adults in every year to 2016–17, and in 2020–21. The aim is to estimate the implications for household incomes – and hence, income poverty – of what is known about tax and benefit policy and current forecasts for the macroeconomy.
Analyses data on child poverty and social exclusion in the United Kingdom, presenting a child poverty measurement
explores the relationship between housing and poverty in the United Kingdom
Provides an overview of the research evidence on the relationship between poverty and ethnicity in Northern Ireland.
Provides the latest data on poverty in Northern Ireland, focusing on associations between poverty, work, disability and age.
Detailed data about household incomes comes with a considerable lag. And while the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) produces economic forecasts for the next five years, these only tell us about averages. In this, our second dedicated Living Standards Outlook, we combine survey data, OBR forecasts, the government’s tax and benefit policies, and more, to project household income growth for different groups.
Explores children’s experiences of poverty and educational disadvantage and their attitudes to education.
Provides an overview of devolved strategies to tackle child poverty in the UK; builds on earlier work by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation assessing the impact of devolution for low-income people and places; and, looks at what more can be done within existing powers to tackle child poverty.
Snapshots the position of women in rural Northern Ireland on public bodies, voluntary agencies, political representation, etc, to illustrate the low levels of representation in decision making, in the context of the Review of Public Administration (RPA).
Considers issues of gender mainstreaming and the use of focus groups and audits to illustrate understanding and demonstrate current levels of representation.
An indepth exploration of NIRWN's priority areas, Caring responsibilities; Rural Transport; Rural Development; Education and Training of Women; Rural Women, Poverty and the Economy and Social Isolation, Health and Wellbeing.
Contains commitments on rural issues by all Departments and provides a framework for a more integrated approach by the Executive in seeking to address the challenges facing our rural communities.
Provides a picture of the current rural women's infrastructure, their representation in rural community activity and decision making; the level of rural community activity for rural women; and the level of community development skills within the women's sector. Recommendations are made for DARD, Rural Women's Groups Strategy Partnership and Rural Community Network.
Looks at the barriers affecting women's access to public and statutory services in rural communities in Northern Ireland.
This leaflet was compliled by Rural Residents' Forum to help explain how rural communities can get their area identified for a rural housing needs test and how individuals can apply for social housing.
Explores the topical issues of rural isolation, poverty and rural community/farmer wellbeing.
Seeks to highlight solutions for telecommunication services within rural areas.
Examines issues of rural mental health, stigma and services in four council districts in Northern Ireland.
Provides DARD statistics on a wide range of rural issues, including agriculture, food, animal health, fisheries and forestry in Northern Ireland.
Aims to provide an overview of the main approaches being taken to alleviate rural poverty and increase rural development, as well as exploring whether these approaches have specifically targeted or benefitted rural women.
A leaflet prepared by Youth Action.
Examines the specialist advice services available to women in the greater Belfast area.
Provides a comprehensive guide to the local public procurement and tendering landscape.
A leaflet prepared by HereNI discussing coming out to your friends and family.
The Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin is a quarterly bulletin containing information on new housing starts and completions, homelessness, the NI House Price Index and new house sales and prices.
Offers a profile of advice and support service provision in women’s centres within greater Belfast.
Captures a snapshot of women's perceptions of the demand for and the actual/potential role of community-based women-only advice in the context of ongoing austerity and associated poverty.
The Belfast Domestic & Sexual Violence Partnership has developed a leaflet on financial abuse – what is it, how to recognise it, and how to break free from it.
The guide includes vital information on legal options, managing debt, and what to do once you leave an abusive partner.
Examines a range of quantitative and qualitative data and analysis on the impact of UK austerity measures on women.
Considers the cumulative impact of spending cuts and other austerity initiatives on vulnerable groups of women in Liverpool.
Examines how the poorest families in the United Kingdom have been affected by benefit cuts.
Examines the projected cumulative impact of tax and benefit reforms on Northern Ireland households.
Reviews ‘the impact of changes in the structure of employment and pay on income inequality and poverty’.
Explores the gender impact of cuts to jobs, services and welfare.
Considers the impact of austerity cuts on some of the most vulnerable in Camden.
Examines the impact on household income distribution in the United Kingdom of recent tax, tax credit and benefit reform.
Explores the nature of the uptake of benefits by pensioners in Northern Ireland.
An assessment of the cumulative impact on single mothers of 2010-15 tax and benefit reforms.
Explores the impact of austerity-driven cuts on different population cohorts.
Explores the impact of austerity on the everyday lives of families in the United Kingdom.
Explores how the social housing sector might ‘address poverty and help prevent tenants from moving into problematic debt and rent arrears’, in the context of welfare reform and wider austerity.
Assesses the impact of austerity on low income households in the United Kingdom.
Analyses the impact of the financial crisis on women, including lone parents, migrant women, young women and older women, with a particular focus given to pensions, welfare reform, debt and credit, housing, and energy debt. Includes a summary of policy recommendations for each government department.
Explores the effects of cuts in welfare expenditure on social landlords and tenants.
Examines the impact of austerity on inequality across Europe.
Examines the cumulative impact of welfare changes on women in Scotland.
Examines the impact of austerity in the housing sector across EU member states.
Outlines the Northern Ireland specific impacts of the summer budget 2015 for benefit claimants (including tax credit claimants).
Summarises research on the impact of austerity on lone parents’ everyday lives.
Outlines the anticipated impact of proposed welfare reforms on the Northern Ireland economy.
Explores the impact of welfare reform on Northern Ireland, including on pre-existing poverty.
A report on the impact of welfare reforms in NI.
Explores and highlights the difficulty that the notion of ‘Forgiveness’ poses in attempting to accept and resolve issues about historical events, such as those that occured during the Northern Ireland conflict. The report itself has been a result of a close working partnership between TWN, The Institute of Governance (QUB), The Forgiveness Project and various community, victim and voluntary groups across the Northern Ireland.
Offers local decision makers guidance on how best to incorporate the views of women into peacebuilding and the development of policy.
The Women’s Resource and Development Agency carried out this research to give voice to women in North Belfast, by capturing their lived experiences and how they individually, their families, their communities, and in turn, their geographical and cultural relationships have been affected.
This paper is a summary report on the findings and recommendations of the Reclaiming the Bonfires project.
Explores women’s accounts of their own experiences of the conflict in Northern Ireland.
Explores the participation of women in dealing with the past within post-conflict society, focussing on the Northern Ireland case.
Supported by a bursary from NI-CO, the TWN Policy and Research Officer went to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5-9 November 2007 to make connections with organisations working in the area of gender equality and to investigate comparisons between the post-conflict contexts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Ireland in terms of women’s empowerment.
ECNI's submission to CEDAW.
Draws on the experiences and differences that women went through alongside their male counterparts during the conflict in Northern ireland and examines the needs of women today in our post-conflict society.
An analysis of the effectiveness of women's participation in the NI peace process.
Assesses how far the promises of the Belfast Agreement have been achieved in providing the necessary resources to meet the needs of victims and places women within the context of the victims sector.
Research aiming to map individual women's experiences of violence in NI.
Investigates women's role in peacebuilding. Debates relating to innate passivity in women, socialisation processes, differential impact of conflict and coincidental factors are explored. Notions of civil society are also examined and how women are included (or not) in the theory.
Looks at the key instruments, initiatives and activities related to UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, with particular focus on Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
explores the relationship between Brexit and Northern Ireland
Offers a brief history of women’s contribution to Belfast, with individual biographies of notable women.
sets out the United Kingdom government’s position on Brexit and Northern Ireland and Ireland
explores the potential impact of Brexit on low-income households
explores the potential implications of Brexit for Northern Ireland
measures progress in gender equality across the European Union
Relays women’s experiences of community service placements in three women’s centres in Northern Ireland.
Sets out the findings of a 2013 NICVA member survey examinning issues affecting the sector including bureaucracy, charity registration and the introduction of automatic pension enrolment.
explores the relationship between Brexit and Northern Ireland
Presents the findings of a pilot Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis of two programmes within two different organisations, Ardoyne Women’s Group and Women’s Information Northern Ireland (formerly Women’s Information Group).
A series of demands on gender equality issues, directed at local descision makers. Issues covered include childcare, education, equality law and violence against women.
A guide on the issue intended for employers. Includes a sample workplace policy.
Analyses the findings of a pilot Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis of three programmes in three Belfast women’s centres.
considers how Brexit might potentially threaten working women’s rights.
critically examines the different ways in which Brexit may potentially impact the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland adversely, proposing corrective action to help address same.
Seeks to provide all stakeholders with the purpose, direction and vision to take the NW women’s sector forward in a meaningful and co-ordinated fashion.
Aims to create comptetitive, connected, creative and caring L'Derry for everyone.
Identifies the social and economic development activities and good practice in the work of eight women’s centres.
Reviews evidence and data on housing and communities’ inequalities for groups associated with each of the section 75 equality grounds of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Report on women's opinions about Brexit. The report also looks at the possible gendered impacts of Brexit.
Analysis of a survey conducted by QUB into attitudes to Brexit in NI.
Explores sustainability in community based women’s sector, presenting toolkit on same.
Asks whether money is a cause of fundamental differences in children’s outcomes.
Explores policy approaches to framing the issue of ‘peace walls’ and issues around the Executive’s ambition to remove all such interface barriers by 2023.
A summary of the larger report 'Brexit: Women's Perspectives'. This summary looks at the major concerns women have regarding Brexit and lays out the WRC's recommendations for mitigation.
Summarises findings of SROI pilot projects on programmes in Belfast women’s centres and WINI.
Explores research evidence on a wide range of social issues related to poverty.
Critically evaluates recent government delivery on children’s rights.
Three themes emerged as key factors to ensure engagement of women from disadvantaged and rural areas in the Community Planning process.
Outlines strategies for equality bodies to enable lesbian, gay and bisexual people to secure their rights under equality law.
Explores the role public policy ‘should play in supporting progress on a living wage’.
WRDA's response to DSD consultation "Charities (Accounts & Reports) Regulations 2015", October 2015