National Traveller Women's Forum
{{Infobox organization
| name = National Traveller Women's Forum
| logo = National Traveller Women's Forum logo 2018.jpg
| logo_size = 200px
| motto =
| type =
| founded = 1988
| location = 4/5 Eustace Street, Dublin
| key_people =
| fields = Irish Travellers
| services =
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.ntwf.net/}}
| Employees =
}}
The National Traveller Women's Forum (NTWF) is an Irish network of traveller women and women's groups.{{cite web |title=Traveller women |url=http://women4women.ie/directory-of-services/minority-women-3/traveller-women/ |website=Women4Women |access-date=1 August 2018}}
History
The NTWF was founded in 1988{{Cite book|last=Brian Harvey Social Research|url=https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/21997/1/APaveePointAusterity.pdf|title='Travelling with Austerity' Impacts of Cuts on Travellers, Traveller Projects and Services: 2013 Report|publisher=Pavee Point|year=2013|isbn=978-1-897598-35-1|location=Dublin}}{{Cite web|title=History – National Traveller Women's Forum Ireland|url=https://www.ntwf.net/about/history/|access-date=2020-06-16|website=www.ntwf.net}} in order to advance "Traveller women's rights [as] human rights, equality, cultural recognition, solidarity, liberation, collective action, anti-sexism, anti-racism [and] self-determination".{{cite journal |last1=Reilly |first1=Niamh |title=Women's Rights as Cultural Rights: The Case of the Irish Travellers|journal=Human Rights Dialogue Series 2, No. 12 Special Edition on Cultural Rights |date=2005 |publisher=Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs |url=https://aran.library.nuigalway.ie/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10379/2121/Cultural%20Recognition%20Human%20Rights%20Traveller%20Women_NReilly[2].pdf?sequence=1 |access-date=1 August 2018}} The Forum developed out of the Dublin Travellers Education and Development Group (DTEDG), with the Group initially funding and supporting the Forum.
Core activities
The NTWF's vision is "Traveller Women have achieved full equality and their identity is celebrated."{{Cite web|title=Aims – National Traveller Women's Forum Ireland|url=https://www.ntwf.net/about/aims/|access-date=2020-06-16|website=www.ntwf.net}} It has worked in the fields including unemployment,{{cite news |last1=Kearns |first1=David |title=Travellers call for national enterprise and jobs strategy |url=https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/travellers-call-for-national-enterprise-and-jobs-strategy-34787571.html |access-date=1 August 2018 |work=Irish Independent |date=19 June 2016}} accommodation,{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Bridget |last2=Joyce |first2=Maria |title=Presentation on Traveller accommodation to the Meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government 8 th March 2018 |url=https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/32/joint_committee_on_housing_planning_and_local_government/submissions/2018/2018-03-08_opening-statement-bridget-kelly-and-maria-joyce-national-traveller-women-s-forum_en.pdf |publisher=National Traveller Women's Forum |access-date=1 August 2018}} and discrimination{{cite web |title=Submission to the Pre - Sessional Working Group of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (23 - 27 November 2015 |url=https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared%20Documents/IRL/INT_CEDAW_LIP_IRL_21925_E.pdf |publisher=NTWF October 2015 1 National Traveller Women’s Forum |access-date=1 August 2018}} and plans to work on supporting traveller women in prison.{{cite web |title=National Traveller Women's Forum: Invitation to Tender |url=https://www.activelink.ie/content/vacancies/tenders/38549 |publisher=Activelink |access-date=1 August 2018}} They also have highlighted the issues Traveller women face regarding mental{{Cite web|date=20 October 2018|title=Traveller women are facing 'multiple' levels of inequality, conference told|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/news/traveller-women-are-facing-multiple-levels-of-inequality-conference-told-37422276.html|access-date=2020-06-16|website=The Sligo Champion|language=en}} and physical health, in particular the discrepancy between the life expectancy of Traveller community in comparison to the settled community.{{Cite news|last=Holland|first=Kitty|date=22 October 2019|title=Travellers must have 'control and direction' over health strategies, committee told|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/travellers-must-have-control-and-direction-over-health-strategies-committee-told-1.4059641|access-date=2020-06-16|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}} It is a member of the National Women's Council of Ireland,{{cite web|title=National Traveller Women's Forum|url=https://www.nwci.ie/index.php/discover/member_detail/national_traveller_womens_forum|access-date=1 August 2018|website=Our Members|publisher=National Women's Council of Ireland}} a company limited by guarantee incorporated in 2002,{{cite web|title=National Traveller Women's Forum company limited by guarantee|url=https://search.benefacts.ie/org/747a9e5c-c328-4e1a-b914-d0fe624fd9f2|access-date=1 August 2018|publisher=Benefacts}} and a registered charity, RCN 20045364.{{cite web|title=National Traveller Women's Forum: Registered Charity Number (RCN): 20045364| work=Charities Regulator |url=https://www.charitiesregulator.ie/en/information-for-the-public/search-the-charities-register/charity-detail?srchstr=20045364®id=20045364|access-date=1 August 2018|publisher=Charities Regulator}}
Alongside other Traveller advocacy groups including Minceirs Whiden, Irish Traveller Movement, and Pavee Point, the Forum conducts periodic surveys of the Travelling community and perceptions of the settled community.{{Cite news|last=Holland|first=Kitty|date=4 October 2017|title=Just 9% of settled people would want a Traveller marrying into family|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/just-9-of-settled-people-would-want-a-traveller-marrying-into-family-1.3244131|access-date=2020-06-16|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}} In 2019, with Tallaght Traveller Community Development Project and Blanchardstown Traveller Development Group, the Forum called on the Irish government to pay members of the Travelling community reparations for the racism they have identified within the policies of the Irish State.{{Cite web|last=Ó Scannáil|first=Mícheál|date=12 November 2019|title=Leaders of Travellers groups call for state reparations in Oireachtas|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/leaders-of-travellers-groups-call-for-state-reparations-in-oireachtas-38684429.html|access-date=2020-06-16|website=independent|language=en}} The Forum also campaign on the accessibility of education to Traveller children, and the effects of government policy educational outcomes for these children in comparison to their settled peers.{{Cite news|last=Mary Regan|date=2019-05-30|title=Reduced school timetables affecting Traveller children|language=en|work=RTE.ie|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/education/2019/0530/1052582-traveller-education/|access-date=2020-06-16}}
With over 20 groups including Amnesty International Ireland, the Immigrant Council of Ireland, and the Irish Refugee Council, in January 2020 the Forum co-signed an open letter to the Irish government calling on politicians to not use "hate speech".{{Cite web|last=McCrave|first=Conor|date=27 January 2020|title=Charities and community groups pen open letter to politicians urging them not to use 'hate speech'|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/politicians-open-letter-hate-speech-general-election-4980744-Jan2020/|access-date=2020-06-16|website=TheJournal.ie|language=en}} In reaction to the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, the Forum joined with other Travellers' groups to draw attention to the racism and prejudice experienced by their communities.{{Cite news|last=O'Brien|first=Tim|date=9 June 2020|title=Travellers urge end to racism as George Floyd buried|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/travellers-urge-end-to-racism-as-george-floyd-buried-1.4275051|access-date=2020-06-16|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}
The NTWF's co-ordinator is Maria Joyce.{{cite news |last1=Holland |first1=Kitty |title=Just 9% of settled people would want a Traveller marrying into family |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/just-9-of-settled-people-would-want-a-traveller-marrying-into-family-1.3244131 |access-date=1 August 2018 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=4 October 2017}}{{cite web |title=Management and Staff |url=https://www.ntwf.net/index.php/about/management-staff/ |publisher=National Traveller Women's Forum |access-date=1 August 2018}} In 2020, one of the group's active members, Eileen Flynn, was planning to run for the Seanad,{{Cite news|last=Holland|first=Kitty|date=11 March 2020|title=Seanad hopeful would be first female Traveller in Oireachtas|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/seanad-hopeful-would-be-first-female-traveller-in-oireachtas-1.4198973|access-date=2020-06-11|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}} having received a nomination from the Labour Party.{{Cite web|last=McVeigh|first=Ellen|date=2020-04-01|title=Seanad Candidate Could Be the First Traveller Woman in the Oireachtas|url=https://www.stand.ie/first-traveller-woman-in-oireachtas/|access-date=2020-06-16|website=STAND|language=en-GB}} She was appointed to the Senate by the Taoiseach, as an independent member, in June 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Eileen-Flynn.S.2020-06-29/|title=Eileen Flynn|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=27 December 2024|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710210119/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Eileen-Flynn.S.2020-06-29/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last1=Kelly|first1=Fiach|title=Nine of Taoiseach's 11 Seanad appointees are women|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/nine-of-taoiseach-s-11-seanad-appointees-are-women-1.4290681|access-date=27 December 2024|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}} The Forum has called for the establishment of a permanent senator for Travellers in the Seanad.{{Cite web|last=Barry|first=Aoife|date=23 January 2020|title=A permanent seat in the Seanad should be reserved for Travellers, says new Seanad report|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/traveller-rights-seanad-report-4975961-Jan2020/|access-date=2020-06-16|website=TheJournal.ie|language=en}}
After a case involving sexual abuse in a Traveller family over many years, the Forum and other Traveller women's advocacy groups highlighted the systemic failure of a number of state agencies that prolonged the abuse.{{Cite web|last=Hennessy|first=Michelle|date=16 June 2020|title='Weaknesses all over the system': Call for review of 'State failures' in family rape case|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/tipperary-rape-case-5123962-Jun2020/|access-date=2020-06-16|website=TheJournal.ie|language=en}}