National Traveller Women's Forum Explained

National Traveller Women's Forum
Founded:1988
Location:4/5 Eustace Street, Dublin
Fields:Irish Travellers

The National Traveller Women's Forum (NTWF) is an Irish network of traveller women and women's groups.[1]

History

The NTWF was founded in 1988[2] [3] in order to advance "Traveller women's rights [as] human rights, equality, cultural recognition, solidarity, liberation, collective action, anti-sexism, anti-racism [and] self-determination".[4] The Forum developed out of the Dublin Travellers Education and Development Group (DTEDG), with the Group initially funding and supporting the Forum.

Core activities

The NTWF's vision is "Traveller Women have achieved full equality and their identity is celebrated."[5] It has worked in the fields including unemployment,[6] accommodation,[7] and discrimination[8] and plans to work on supporting traveller women in prison.[9] They also have highlighted the issues Traveller women face regarding mental[10] and physical health, in particular the discrepancy between the life expectancy of Traveller community in comparison to the settled community.[11] It is a member of the National Women's Council of Ireland,[12] a company limited by guarantee incorporated in 2002,[13] and a registered charity, RCN 20045364.[14]

Alongside other Traveller advocacy groups including Minceirs Whiden, Irish Traveller Movement, and Pavee Point, the Forum conducts periodic surveys of the Travelling community and perceptions of the settled community.[15] In 2019, with Tallaght Traveller Community Development Project and Blanchardstown Traveller Development Group, the Forum called on the Irish government to pay members of the Travelling community reparations for the racism they have identified within the policies of the Irish State.[16] The Forum also campaign on the accessibility of education to Traveller children, and the effects of government policy educational outcomes for these children in comparison to their settled peers.[17]

With over 20 groups including Amnesty International Ireland, the Immigrant Council of Ireland, and the Irish Refugee Council, in January 2020 the Forum co-signed an open letter to the Irish government calling on politicians to not use "hate speech".[18] In reaction to the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, the Forum joined with other Travellers' groups to draw attention to the racism and prejudice experienced by their communities.[19]

The NTWF's co-ordinator is Maria Joyce.[20] [21] One of the group's active members, Eileen Flynn, is planning on running for the Seanad,[22] having received a nomination from the Labour Party.[23] The Forum has called for the establishment of a permanent senator for Travellers in the Seanad.[24]

After a case involving sexual abuse in a Traveller family over many years, the Forum and other Traveller women's advocacy groups highlighted the systemic failure of a number of state agencies that prolonged the abuse.[25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Traveller women . Women4Women . 1 August 2018.
  2. Book: Brian Harvey Social Research. ‘Travelling with Austerity’ Impacts of Cuts on Travellers, Traveller Projects and Services: 2013 Report. Pavee Point. 2013. 1 897598 35 1. Dublin.
  3. Web site: History – National Traveller Women's Forum Ireland. 2020-06-16. www.ntwf.net.
  4. Reilly . Niamh . https://aran.library.nuigalway.ie/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10379/2121/Cultural%20Recognition%20Human%20Rights%20Traveller%20Women_NReilly[2.pdf?sequence=1 Women's Rights as Cultural Rights: The Case of the Irish Travellers]. Human Rights Dialogue Series 2, no. 12 Special edition on cultural rights . 2005 . Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs . 1 August 2018.
  5. Web site: Aims – National Traveller Women's Forum Ireland. 2020-06-16. www.ntwf.net.
  6. News: Kearns . David . Travellers call for national enterprise and jobs strategy . 1 August 2018 . Irish Independent . 19 June 2016.
  7. Web site: Kelly . Bridget . Joyce . Maria . Presentation on Traveller accommodation to the Meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government 8 th March 2018: . National Traveller Women's Forum . 1 August 2018.
  8. Web site: Submission to the Pre - Sessional Working Group of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (23 - 27 November 2015 . NTWF October 2015 1 National Traveller Women’s Forum . 1 August 2018.
  9. Web site: National Traveller Women’s Forum: Invitation to Tender . Activelink . 1 August 2018.
  10. Web site: 20 October 2018. Traveller women are facing 'multiple' levels of inequality, conference told. 2020-06-16. The Sligo Champion. en.
  11. Web site: Holland. Kitty. 22 October 2019. Travellers must have ‘control and direction’ over health strategies, committee told. 2020-06-16. The Irish Times. en.
  12. Web site: National Traveller Women’s Forum. 1 August 2018. Our Members. National Women's Council of Ireland.
  13. Web site: National Traveller Women's Forum company limited by guarantee. 1 August 2018. Benefacts.
  14. Web site: National Traveller Women's Forum: Registered Charity Number (RCN): 20045364. 1 August 2018. .
  15. Web site: Holland. Kitty. 4 October 2017. Just 9% of settled people would want a Traveller marrying into family. 2020-06-16. The Irish Times. en.
  16. Web site: Ó Scannáil. Mícheál. 12 November 2019. Leaders of Travellers groups call for state reparations in Oireachtas. 2020-06-16. independent. en.
  17. News: Mary Regan. 2019-05-30. Reduced school timetables affecting Traveller children. en. RTE.ie. 2020-06-16.
  18. Web site: McCrave. Conor. 27 January 2020. Charities and community groups pen open letter to politicians urging them not to use 'hate speech'. 2020-06-16. TheJournal.ie. en.
  19. Web site: O'Brien. Tim. 9 June 2020. Travellers urge end to racism as George Floyd buried. 2020-06-16. The Irish Times. en.
  20. News: Holland . Kitty . Just 9% of settled people would want a Traveller marrying into family . 1 August 2018 . The Irish Times . 4 October 2017.
  21. Web site: Management and Staff . National Traveller Women's Forum . 1 August 2018.
  22. Web site: Holland. Kitty. 11 March 2020. Seanad hopeful would be first female Traveller in Oireachtas. 2020-06-11. The Irish Times. en.
  23. Web site: McVeigh. Ellen. 2020-04-01. Seanad Candidate Could Be the First Traveller Woman in the Oireachtas. 2020-06-16. STAND. en-GB.
  24. Web site: Barry. Aoife. 23 January 2020. A permanent seat in the Seanad should be reserved for Travellers, says new Seanad report. 2020-06-16. TheJournal.ie. en.
  25. Web site: Hennessy. Michelle. 16 June 2020. 'Weaknesses all over the system': Call for review of 'State failures' in family rape case. 2020-06-16. TheJournal.ie. en.

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