Irish Taoiseach & Hillary Clinton spotlight women’s role in Northern Ireland’s peace process

From Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton celebrated women's role in Northern Ireland's peace process at a conference hosted by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security marking the 25th anniversary of Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement.

The agreement brought an end to the conflict in Northern Ireland known as “the Troubles,” alleviating decades of violence between Protestant unionists and Roman Catholic nationalists from the late 1960s to 1998. 

The Taoiseach said, “25 years on, it shines as a beacon of hope and an example to all of us in politics and outside of politics that the impossible can be achieved when people work together.”

He recognized women’s often overlooked role in the peace process and credited the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC) for including topics such as housing, education, victims rights and reconciliation in the Good Friday Agreement.

“Women from across the political spectrum were able to contribute to everything that happened, except, it seems, the photographs at the end,” said Varadkar. “Therefore, I believe that we can have no meaningful commemoration of the Good Friday Agreement unless the role of women is properly recognized and applauded.”

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar celebrated women's role in the Good Friday Agreement at Georgetown University.

Monica McWilliams told the story of creating the NIWC – a cross-community political party – in just six weeks in order to have women represented at the multi-party peace negotiations. 

“Twenty-five years ago we took a risk,” she said. 

After asking other political parties whether they planned to have women at the negotiating table – “they didn’t even bother answering our letters” – McWilliams and Avila Kilmurray decided over a glass of wine to “get organized and do it ourselves.” 

The NIWC won two seats in the subsequent election and participated in the Good Friday Agreement negotiations.

“We were told to go home and breed…and to be proper housewives,” reflected McWilliams. “So we sang the Dolly Parton song ‘Stand By Your Man’ and that was the start.”

The NIWC was able to insert integrated education, mixed housing, a civic forum and the right of women to full and equal participation into the Good Friday Agreement.

“That’s the value-add that women bring to the table,” said McWilliams. However, she noted that these provisions have not been fully implemented.

She credited the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security for hosting a conference honoring women’s leadership in the peace process.

“Today is quite emotional for me in many ways, because [in the past] we would have been somewhere in the back, looking on,” said McWilliams.

Monica McWilliams reflected on her role as a signatory to the Good Friday Agreement.

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton summarized lessons learned from the peace process, including the importance of seeking out and building relationships, particularly with people who may not agree with you.

“It took a lot of courage to begin to sit and talk to people who you thought had, if not contributed [to], certainly condoned violence and disruption, said Clinton. “But you do not make peace with your friends; you do not negotiate with people you already agree with. We all have to do some serious soul searching about how we relate to one another in this much more complicated information environment where demonization and scapegoating are accepted strategies.” 

Clinton also reinforced the important role that women played in Northern Ireland’s peace talks.

“Much of what we heard reflects the work of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security: how important it is to include the voices of all, but in particular to make an extra effort to include the voices of women.” 

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton offered reflections at Georgetown University.

The conference included former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United States Karen Pierce, U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs Joseph Kennedy III, U.S. Consul General in Belfast Paul Narain, head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Jayne Brady, First Minister (Elect) of Northern Ireland and Deputy Leader of Sinn Féin Michelle O’Neill, members of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland Emma Little-Pengelly and Patricia O’Lynn, founding member of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition Avila Kilmurray, and next generation peacemaker Emma DeSouza.

Read a summary of the event and watch the event recording.