Paula McAliskey represented NIRWN and our members at the NI Anti-Poverty Conference, a sector-wide call to action for a robust and impactful Anti-Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland.

The publication of the Draft Anti-Poverty Strategy in June marks an important opportunity to embed rights-based and evidence-led approaches to tackling poverty.  Civic society engagement is essential to ensure that the voices of those most affected – including rural women and communities in border areas – are not marginalised in critical policymaking.

Conference Highlights

• Keynote speaker Fiona King, Policy Lead for Save the Children in Scotland, shared valuable lessons from Scotland’s approach to reducing child poverty, demonstrating the importance of statutory targets, cross-departmental commitment, and long-term investment.
• The event provided a collective platform for civic society organisations to align positions, share learning from successful initiatives, and chart a path forward.

NIRWN’s Contribution

• NIRWN emphasised the need for action-oriented policy that addresses the unique experiences of rural and disadvantaged women.
• Our focus was on ensuring that gendered and geographic inequalities are not overlooked in the delivery of anti-poverty measures.
• Participation reaffirmed NIRWN’s commitment to contributing to a strategy that is inclusive, evidence-based, and capable of delivering real change.