The foundations of a rural regional women’s network
Being part of a new model for rural development was an exciting time for me as a Community Development Worker and a woman who lived in South Armagh. The dynamism and creativity of rural women when they get together to improve their own communities should never be underestimated.
South Armagh, where I worked and volunteered, is a small border community situated between NI and the ROI close to the main roads of Dublin and Belfast. During 40 years of violence and political unrest, South Armagh suffered the negative effects of civil strife more that most rural areas. With a population of around 40,000 people this area had the highest fatality and casualty ratio for rural communities in NI. All families in South Armagh will know someone who has been killed or injured during the violence.
Although a more peaceful atmosphere exists post signing of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement the area still feels the effects of the conflict with lack of economic investment, poor infrastructure, high levels of economically inactive adults, lack of quality of social, economic and environmental facilities as well as social housing.
Being part of the formation of ROSA in 1987 helped to tackle the multiple issues facing rural communities living on the border such as lack of training, educational opportunities, childcare, transport, technology and rural isolation. Initially there was no funding available to this group, no support or assistance and everything was done through voluntary efforts. The group broke new ground with little to no investment and completed key works such as the development of a community needs audit, concept of an environment education centre, adult education programme, pilot farm diversification projects, IT training, women in leadership programmes including Diplomas as well as a rural Health partnership.
Local demand for training and support was spreading and because of this the next logical step was the development of a network of local women’s groups to deliver this at point of access. The group received funding from the EU to develop a women’s network in South Armagh and thankfully I was employed. It was a pleasure to work on this initiative linking all the voluntary efforts of women across the region to secure better living conditions and opportunities for rural women across the wider community.
My first step in creating this network was the establishment of sound individual groups in the area where a need had been detected. Training such as committee skills, constitutions, fundraising was put in place and each group was given a seeding grant to start them off. Over many years (14 or 15 at least), the local groups grew and grew in areas where they was political and civil unrest and from a small group of women with one worker, a larger network developed, this network gained many friends and allies and from this network, some years later I was directly involved in the inception of Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network which still exists today and still operates to make rural women, visible, valued and influential.
As they say from some acorns trees grow and to be part of a large regional women’s network still as a Trustee is such an honour. To be part of something that began in rural South Armagh to now serving over 600 member groups and individuals in Northern Ireland is something I am immensely proud of to this day.
