The National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) is a representative organisation for women and women's groups in Ireland.
The mission of the NWCI is to achieve women's equality and empower women to work together to remove inequalities. It says it represents some 300,000 women in the Republic of Ireland.
The NWCI has worked progressively to deepen and broaden its membership base to represent a broad range of women's interests in Ireland. It was and is instrumental in setting the agenda for women's rights in Ireland. Alongside other organisations it advocated against austerity measures aimed at lone parents and other vulnerable groups of women. The NWCI experienced significant cuts in funding over the period of austerity. In recent times the NWCI has particularly focused on issues including women's mental health, violence and holding the Irish government to account through the CEDAW process.
History
In 1973 a group of feminists, chaired by Hilda Tweedy of the Irish Housewives Association, set up the Council for the Status of Women, with the goal of gaining equality for women. It was an umbrella body for women's groups.
During the 1990s the council's activities included supporting projects funded by the European Social Fund, and running Women and Leadership Programmes and forums. In 1995, following a strategic review, it changed its name to the National Women's Council of Ireland.