People

Monica McWilliams

Ireland

Biography

Professor of Women’s Studies in the Transnational Justice Institute at the University of Ulster, Monica played an instrumental role in the Multi-Party Peace Talks, which led to the Good Friday Agreement. She co-founded a political party, the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, which was successfully elected to the peace negotiations. Monica is a former Member of the Legislative Assembly and served as Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Her work focuses on domestic violence, human security and the role of women in peace processes.

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“The first question I think we need to ask when we talk peace is, who’s at the table? Who’s talking peace? How inclusive is it? Where are the gaps at the table? The second is, knowing that we have a table, what’s being put on the table? Is everybody feeling that they’ve got something on the table?”

Monica McWilliams