Northern Ireland Gender Audit. June
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Re-imagining women’s security: A comparative study of South Africa, Northern Ireland and Lebanon 1 Northern Ireland Gender Audit Paddy Hillyard School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, Queen’s University, Belfast Monica McWilliams School of Policy Studies, University of Ulster Margaret Ward, Women’s Resource and Development Agency, Belfast JUNE 2006 2 1 This was an ESRC funded project (Grant No: RES-223-25-0066) carried out by a team of Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Ulster and Democratic Dialogue: Brandon Hamber, Paddy Hillyard, Mona Khalaf, Amy Maguire, Monica McWilliams, Gillian Robinson, David Russell, and Margaret Ward. Separate audits are available for South Africa and the Lebanon. 2 The cut-off point for this report was June 2006. Some of the data refer to earlier years because no further information was available at June 2006. As will be appreciated, keeping an Audit up-to-date is rather like painting the Forth Bridge: no sooner have you got to the end of the task, you must begin again. We would to thank Suzanne Mooney and Georgina Owens and all members of the project team. 1 CONTENTS SECTION 1: DEVELOPMENTS SINCE THE PEACE PROCESS .................... 4 1. Constitutional Issues ........................................................................................ 4 2. Governance Issues .......................................................................................... 4 Strand One (Internal Relations) ...................................................................... 4 Strand Two (North-South Relations) .............................................................. 5 Strand Three (British-Irish Relations) ........................................................... 6 3. Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity .......................................... 6 Human Rights .................................................................................................. 6 Equality of Opportunity .................................................................................. 7 4. Reconciliation and Victims of Violence ........................................................... 9 5. Decommissioning and Demilitarisation ........................................................ 10 6. Policing ........................................................................................................... 10 7. Criminal Justice ............................................................................................. 12 8. Political Prisoners .......................................................................................... 12 SECTION 2: INDICATORS ................................................................................. 14 1. Political and Public Participation ................................................................. 14 Prior to the Agreement .................................................................................. 14 Northern Ireland Forum ............................................................................... 14 A Women’s Agenda ....................................................................................... 15 Northern Ireland Assembly ........................................................................... 16 Women Ministers ........................................................................................... 17 Assembly Committees and women ................................................................ 17 Achievements of the Assembly ...................................................................... 18 Gender-specific issues in the Assembly ......................................................... 18 Programme for Government ......................................................................... 18 2003 November Elections .............................................................................. 19 NI Assembly:A Women’s Manifesto ............................................................. 19 Women’s Lobby of the Assembly .................................................................. 20 Gender Matters: policy for gender equality 2005-2015. ............................... 20 Local Government ......................................................................................... 21 Attitudes towards women in political life ..................................................... 22 2007 Elections ................................................................................................ 22 Civic Forum ................................................................................................... 22 Local Strategy Partnerships .......................................................................... 22 Public Appointments under the Remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in N.I ...................................................................................... 23 North-South Ministerial Council and Cross-Border Bodies ........................ 24 Women’s involvement in the voluntary and community sector ................... 26 2. Security, Policing and Criminal Justice ........................................................ 28 Gender and policing prior to the Patten. ...................................................... 28 Third Report of the N.I. Affairs Committee August 1997 ........................... 28 Patten Report and Women, September 1999 ................................................ 30 The Police Service of Northern Ireland ........................................................ 31 The gender composition of the PSNI ............................................................ 32 Seniority of women in PSNI June 2006 ......................................................... 32 PSNI Gender Action Plan .............................................................................. 33 The Policing Board ........................................................................................ 34 2 District Policing Partnerships ....................................................................... 35 District Policing Partnerships 2005-2009 ...................................................... 36 Police Ombudsman ........................................................................................ 37 Oversight Commissioner for Policing ........................................................... 37 Judicial Appointments Commissioner .......................................................... 37 Lay magistrates .............................................................................................. 39 Judicial Appointments Commission ............................................................. 39 Oversight Commissioner for Criminal Justice Review ................................ 39 Criminal Justice Inspectorate ....................................................................... 39 The Prison Service of Northern Ireland ....................................................... 40 Public Order and the Parades Commission .................................................. 40 Criminal Justice post Agreement .................................................................. 43 3. Economic and Social Background ................................................................. 44 Employment ................................................................................................... 44 Childcare ........................................................................................................ 46 Education ....................................................................................................... 47 Caring in the community ............................................................................... 49 Health and mortality ..................................................................................... 49 Legislative changes: Equality ........................................................................ 51 4. Victims in Northern Ireland .......................................................................... 52 5. Violence .......................................................................................................... 55 Women and the Conflict ................................................................................ 55 Women’s involvement in paramilitary organisations .................................. 55 Gender-based violence ................................................................................... 56 3 SECTION 1: DEVELOPMENTS SINCE THE PEACE PROCESS 1. Constitutional Issues • The Agreement between the Irish and British governments and the political parties in Northern Ireland (also known as the Good Friday Agreement or the Belfast Agreement) was reached on Friday April 10 1998. It set out a plan for devolved government in Northern Ireland and provided for the creation of Human Rights and Equality Commissions, the early release of prisoners, decommissioning of paramilitary weapons and reform of policing and the criminal justice system. • The Assembly has responsibility for all aspects of policy except those non- devolved issues that remain the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Office. Non-devolved responsibilities have two separate categories: excepted and reserved. Reserved matters include policing, security, prisons, criminal justice, abortion law reform, income tax, national insurance and regulation of telecommunications. Excepted matters include elections, European policy, peace and reconciliation and foreign policy. • Constitutional principles endorsed in referendums, North and South