The Irish government has published the first Action Plan under the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025–2030, setting out how key commitments to advance gender equality will be delivered over the next three years.
Announcing the plan, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, said the Action Plan for 2026 to 2028 provides a roadmap for implementing the strategy, identifying the government departments and agencies responsible for delivering individual commitments and establishing ways to monitor progress.
The National Women’s Council (NWC) welcomed the publication of the long-awaited Action Plan but said greater ambition is needed if Ireland intends to make meaningful progress on gender equality. NWC worked closely with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality as a key partner in developing both the National Strategy and the Action Plan.
The organisation said it was pleased to see a number of issues it has long campaigned for included in the document, including extending Parents Leave, providing secure long-term housing solutions for victim-survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and expanding the Free Contraception Scheme to cover a full reproductive lifespan.
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Commenting on the Action Plan, Corrinne Hasson, Executive Director of the NWC, said: “This Action Plan sets out a crucial roadmap to realise the Strategy’s ambition to advance women’s rights and equality, eradicate women’s discrimination and promote women’s full participation. And while there is much to welcome in the Plan, there are a number of areas where it falls short. In particular, the measures to improve gender balance in local government do not go far enough to achieve parity.”
The National Strategy for Women and Girls is a whole-of-Government plan aimed at creating greater equality for women and girls of all ages and backgrounds by eliminating discrimination and improving opportunities across society. Among the commitments included in the first Action Plan are further initiatives to increase the number of women in local politics, including rolling out Regional Women’s Caucus Networks across all local authorities and launching a new political participation campaign, led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
In addition, Cuan will develop evidence-led public awareness campaigns designed to change attitudes and help prevent and reduce domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
Alongside the publication of the Action Plan, Minister Foley announced the €1 million funding call to support organisations developing projects that help women overcome barriers to employment, strengthen skills and increase participation in the workforce. Further details of the funding initiative, including application arrangements, will be announced in the coming weeks.
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