Women and Good Friday Agreement: The Impact of Brexit Closing Conference – 9 June 2021

TWN received funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, The Reconciliation & Commemoration Section for a  project to look at ‘Women and Good Friday Agreement: The Impact of Brexit’. 

The main aims of the funding from the DFA for this project were to:

• Run a series of workshops offering women the safe space to reflect and explore the architecture of the GFA

• Allow them to reflect on the impact of Brexit, the GFA going forward in terms of family, community

• Reflect on the possible impact of the GFA and Brexit to the political scene and possible sectarian threats to the stability of NI

• Provide the opportunity for women to empower and build each other up whilst aiming for a society free from sectarianism and fear.

The closing conference had been postponed 4 times in the last year. 

We managed to hold a small socially distanced event in TWN with an audience participating through the webinar. 

Sincere thanks are due to the funder, the Dept of Foreign Affairs for their continued support and understanding as we attempted to bring this project to a successful conclusion. 

The closing conference had Henrietta as our keynote speaker; the step-daughter of the late Dr Mo Mowlam who had been instrumental in the Good Friday Agreement. 

Professor Duncan Morrow and Dr Maire Braniff put the Good Friday Agreement and Brexit in perspective and set the scene for the conference.

The 4 main NI political parties took part by providing their parties view and then taking part in a Q&A.

• Carla Lockhart from the DUP

• Jill Macauley from the UUP

• Dolores Kelly from the SDLP

• Conor Maskey from Sinn Fein

Sincere thanks are due to Senator Gerard Craughwell for travelling to Belfast to take part, Senator Craughwell has been a very good supporter and a friend to TWN.

Silver Sister Productions (Catherine Ferrin) provided a humorous monologue to brighten the day.

Sarah Travers of Bespoke Communications facilitated the conference and kept the questions flowing with the Q&A.