The Role and Aspirations of the Non-Governmental Sector in Articulating and Representing the ...

100 Pages·2008·6.58 MB·English

The Role and Aspirations of the
Non-Governmental Sector in Articulating
and Representing the Interests of Groups
Experiencing Inequality

The Role and Aspirations of the Non-Governmental Sector in Articulating and Representing the Interests of Groups Experiencing Inequality

The Role and Aspirations of the
Non-Governmental Sector in Articulating
and Representing the Interests of Groups
Experiencing Inequality
First published October 2008
by
The Equality Authority
2 Clonmel Street
Dublin 2
© 2008 The Equality Authority
ISBN-13: 978-1-905628-80-3
Design: www.form.ie

The Role and Aspirations of the Non-Governmental Sector in Articulating and Representing the Interests of Groups Experiencing Inequality
Table of Contents
Foreword .................................................................................................................................5
Recommendations .................................................................................................................8
Part One
Report from a Consultation Conducted by Work Research Co-operative ........................11
Section 1
Introduction and Overview ......................................................................................................12
Methodology ..........................................................................................................................12
Section 2
Key Developments in the Evolution of the Sector and its Context ...........................................16
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................23
Section 3
Progressing Equality: The Aspirations and Role of the Community and Voluntary Sector .........24
Identifying the Shared Interests of Groups Experiencing Inequality ..........................................26
Engaging with Policy and Decision-making Domains ..............................................................34
Engaging with Civil and Democratic Society ...........................................................................44
Section 4
Conclusions ............................................................................................................................52
Overview of Findings ..............................................................................................................52

Part Two
Proceedings from a Seminar Hosted by The Equality Authority, 14 November 2007 .......57
Section 5
Keynote Addresses ................................................................................................................58
Welcome Address
Dr Angela Kerins, Chairperson, The Equality Authority ............................................................58
Opening Address
Mr Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs ...........................61
The Social Partnership Process: Reflections on the Role of the Community
and Voluntary Sector – Note of Presentation Made to Conference
Mr Dermot McCarthy, Secretary General, Department of An Taoiseach ...................................62
The Importance of the Community and Voluntary Sector Within Participative Democracy
Ms Paula Clancy, Director, TASC think tank for social change .................................................64
The Experience of Articulating and Representing the Interests of One-Parent Families
Ms Frances Byrne, CEO, OPEN .............................................................................................68
Achieving Equality of Representation for Groups Experiencing Inequality
Mr Niall Crowley CEO, The Equality Authority ..........................................................................75
Representing the Interests of Groups Experiencing Inequality:
The Challenges for the Community and Voluntary Sector
Gráinne Healy, Independent Consultant ..................................................................................79
Section 6
Seminar Workshops and Feedback ........................................................................................85

The Role and Aspirations of the Non-Governmental Sector in Articulating and Representing the Interests of Groups Experiencing Inequality

Foreword
This publication arises as part of the national Significant and persistent inequalities continue
strategy for the European Year of Equal to exist for many individuals and groups in
Opportunities for All 2007. The strategy Irish society. There are many examples of
contained a commitment to review the current this across the nine grounds covered by the
roles and aspirations of the community sector equality legislation. Lone parents experience
in articulating and representing the interests of inequalities in access to social housing; older
groups experiencing inequality and to host a people have uneven access to health services;
seminar on this theme. partnership rights are not available to lesbian
and gay people; women are significantly under-
2007 was designated as European Year of Equal represented across all political institutions;
Opportunities for All as part of a concerted effort negative stereotyping is a significant issue for
to promote equality and non-discrimination young people; Travellers report low attendance
across the EU. The Equality Authority was at, early drop out from and low levels of
the National Implementing Body for the Irish attainment in education; migrant workers
strategy. The national strategy was developed experience underemployment and significant
within a context of meeting three key challenges levels of exploitation and discrimination at work;
in order to establish and ensure a lasting legacy the employment rate for people with disabilities
from the European Year. These were to: build is significantly lower than that for non-disabled
on progress made in promoting equality; ensure adults of working age; transsexual people
that persistent inequalities are addressed; and do not have access to an appropriate health
pursue a new ambition for equality. treatment path for Gender Identity Disorder; and
there are difficulties for carers in reconciling paid
In order to effectively promote equality and employment and caring responsibilities.
combat discrimination, the voices of groups
experiencing inequality must be articulated, Against this backdrop, the work of NGOs in
heard and enabled to have influence. Non- articulating and representing the interests of
Governmental organisations (NGOs), rooted groups experiencing inequality is important.
in communities that experience inequality, The work of NGOs:
provide an important mechanism to ensure – calls attention to situations and experiences
that these voices and the interests of these of inequality and discrimination,
communities are articulated. – provides knowledge, information and
awareness that is key to devising
These community-based organisations are effective responses to this inequality and
the focus for this report. This is not to diminish discrimination, and
the importance and contribution of many – provides the stimulus and builds the demand
other NGOs that are not community-based in for change to create a more equal society.
providing and supporting a demand for greater
equality in our society. Their work and the The first section of this publication presents
particular barriers they face will need to be a the results of a consultation commissioned
focus of further work on the role of the sector by the Equality Authority and undertaken by
in bringing forward the interests of people who Work Research Co-Operative with national
experience inequality. and locally based NGOs representing the

The Role and Aspirations of the Non-Governmental Sector in Articulating and Representing the Interests of Groups Experiencing Inequality
interests of groups experiencing inequality This consultation and seminar are rooted in
from across the nine grounds named in the the potential for community organisations,
equality legislation (gender, age, marital status, nationally and locally, to contribute to equality
family status, sexual orientation, disability, through articulating the interests of groups
religion, race and membership of the Traveller and individuals experiencing inequality. They
community). This consultation aimed to identify are a celebration of the endeavour of these
the current roles and aspirations of NGOs in organisations in doing this work. They are an
representing the interests of groups experiencing exploration of this work and the difficulties
inequality, to highlight the challenges and encountered with a view to building an agenda
barriers in performing these roles and pursuing to ensure a quality to and an effectiveness for
these aspirations to best effect and to offer this work.
recommendations on suggested ways forward.
We are grateful to Rachel Mullen of the Equality
The report of the Work Research Co-operative Authority for her work in organising the seminar
identifies three levels of engagement for NGOs and drawing together various strands of this
in articulating and representing the interests of work in the publication. The Equality Authority
groups experiencing inequality. These are: looks forward to building on this work as part of
• direct engagement with groups our legacy action plan from the European Year
experiencing inequality, of Equal Opportunities for All 2007. In this regard
• influencing policy and decision making, and we have set out a series of recommendations for
• influencing wider civil society. further action at the start of this publication.
We are grateful to Carmel Duggan of Work
Research Co-operative for her effective, inclusive
and insightful work in organising and writing up
this consultation process.
The second section of this publication presents
Niall Crowley,
the proceedings of a seminar hosted by the
Chief Executive Officer,
Equality Authority on the theme of community
The Equality Authority.
organisations articulating and representing the
interests of groups experiencing inequality.
This seminar invited national and locally based
NGOs, including national networks, community
development projects and family resource
centres, to come together to voice their views
on the issues currently facing the sector in
articulating and representing the interests of
groups experiencing inequality and to suggest
ways forward.


The Role and Aspirations of the Non-Governmental Sector in Articulating and Representing the Interests of Groups Experiencing Inequality
Recommendations
The voice of groups experiencing inequality – the arena of practice, where the community
needs to be articulated, heard and enabled to and voluntary sector directly engages with
have influence in order to effectively promote groups experiencing inequality through the
equality and combat discrimination. Non- provision of services to those groups,
Governmental Organisations (NGOs) rooted in – the arena of decision making and institutional
communities that experience inequality provide processes, where the community and
an important mechanism to ensure these voluntary sector engages with policy makers
voices and the interests of these communities and key service providers and the other
are effectively articulated. This is the starting social partners, with a view to influencing
point for the research work and conference their decision making by seeking to ensure
proceedings covered in this report. policy making and service provision are
informed by the experience and situation of
During 2007 the Equality Authority groups experiencing inequality,
commissioned Work Research Co-operative to – the arena of civil and democratic society,
organise and write up a consultation process where the community and voluntary sector
within the NGO sector to: engages with a wide range of organisations
– identify the roles and aspirations of to ensure that the realities of inequality and
community and voluntary organisations in discrimination are adequately reflected in
articulating and representing the interests of public and political debate and to build a
groups experiencing inequality, wider societal commitment to achieving
– explore the importance of the roles of equality and eliminating discrimination.
community and voluntary organisations in
articulating and representing the interests of The consultation process and analysis and the
groups experiencing inequality, seminar proceedings published in this report
– highlight the challenges and barriers in examine each of these arenas to identify the
performing these roles or pursuing these work being done by community and voluntary
aspirations to best effect, and organisations in articulating and representing the
– identify recommendations for change, interests of groups experiencing inequality and
where required. to explore the challenges and barriers faced by
these organisations in carrying out this work.
The consultation process enabled an analysis
by Work Research Co-operative which identified The Equality Authority makes the following
three arenas within which the community and recommendations as suggested ways
voluntary sector can operate to articulate and forward, drawing both from the findings of the
represent the interests of groups experiencing consultation undertaken by Work Research
inequality across the grounds of gender, marital Co-operative, together with the issues raised by
status, family status, age, disability, sexual NGOs that participated in the seminar.
orientation, race, religion and membership of the
Traveller community, which are covered in the
equality legislation. These three arenas are: