Women News Network

- Lys Anzia – WNN – Women News Network

– Northern Ireland’s Betty Williams, 1976 Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize –

Did you know that women make up the majority of the population in Northern Ireland?

That’s right. Fifty-one percent to be exact. But even with this edge on the male population in Northern Ireland, women are underrepresented. Only 18 out of 108 seats of Northern Ireland parliamentarians are women . That gives only 18% of the population of women in the region representation inside Northern Ireland’s governing programs.

“We need to encourage more women to become involved in political life and we need to ensure that candidates are in winnable seats,” said Sinn Fein of the MLA – the Belfast Northern Ireland Assembly.

Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan shared a Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for their work toward an ease to violence in Northern Ireland. At the Nobel award ceremony Williams said, “Unlocking the desire for peace would never have been enough. All the energy, all the determination to express an overwhelming demand for an end to the sickening cycle of useless violence would have reverberated briefly and despairingly among the people as had happened so many times before if we had not organized ourselves to use that energy and that determination positively once and for all.”

-September 2006 PeaceJam conference with Betty Williams 1976 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient-

As women from all provinces march to Belfast this Spring they stand on the solid ground in the push to see more women candidates. “Half of the population is not fairly represented in the decision making process and this cannot be right,” said May de Silva, director of Women Into Politics.

The role of women in the peace process in Northern Ireland has been constant and committed. Last August 2006 marked the 30th anniversary of the beginning of Peace People. Born from the grief of the tragic deaths of three children the Community of Peace People has brought the important issues to front stage. Even though women have been ignored by the leaders. Have suffered terribly under the costs of war today a new bell is sounding.

“Peace is not without sacrifice; and it should thus be remembered,” said Videl Martin, a human rights activist and author. “The year 2007 seems to be of great importance.”

Since the signing of the 1998 Belfast Agreement, Northern Ireland has begun to map a hard and steady progress away from years of suffering in the Northern Irish conflict.

Inquests are still being held to investigate the brutal killings and tortures that took place from 1990 to 1998.

Listen to the BBC’s show “Woman’s Hour” as Martha Kearney, honorary life president of Peace People talks with Lindy McDowell, journalist for the Belfast Telegraph and Irish journalist, Ruth Dudley Edwards.

©WNN – Women News Network 2007