The Women’s Regional Consortium is committed to representing the views and needs of disadvantaged and rurally isolated women. We regularly respond to government consultations and produce our own research. If you would like to take part as an individual or if you think you could get a group of women together to chat to us please email the policy worker for our partner organisation, Women’s Support Network on policy@wsn.org.uk. We are currently working on the Adult Social Care Consultation and the Review of Urgent and Emergency Care Services in Northern Ireland.
The Women’s Regional Consortium was formed in October 2013 after a survey carried out by DSD and DARD identified a need for greater support for women in disadvantaged and rural areas.
The Consortium receives funding from both departments and is made up of seven established women’s sector organisations: Foyle Women’s Information Network (FWIN), Women’s Resource and Development Agency (WRDA), Training for Women Network (TWN), Women’s Support Network (WSN), NI Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN), WOMEN’STEC and The Women’s Centre Derry.
Together, we have been working in partnership with statutory and governmental agencies and local women’s organisations, centres and groups to ensure that women on the ground in disadvantaged and rural areas are receiving support to meet their needs and having their views heard. Our ongoing work covers five key areas:
- Advocacy and leadership (representation).
- Policy, including responding to relevant consultations.
- Research.
- Service support.
- Engagement.
Ultimately, we aim to empower local women in disadvantaged and rurally isolated communities.
If you have any questions you would like answered or need our assistance, please feel free to visit the Contact section and leave us a message. We are always happy to help! Visit the Latest News section to see what is currently happening at the Consortium.
We are proud to represent the views of women from disadvantaged and rural areas on the following bodies:
- Ad Hoc Women’s Policy Group
- European Social Fund Advisory Group
- Forum For Adult Learning (FALNI)
- Gender Advisory Panel (GAP)
- Joint Government/Voluntary and Community Sector Forum
- Human Rights Consortium
- Northern Ireland Women’s Budget Group
- Reclaim The Agenda (RTA)
- Rural Women’s Policy Forum
If you would like to inform us of somewhere else we could represent women, please let us know. We would appreciate your input!
You can find out more about the Women’s Regional Consortium by reading our latest annual report.
