On 21st October the WRDA celebrated its joint AGM and 25th Anniversary at the Edge, Belfast. Past and present WRDA Directors came together at the AGM, to celebrate 25 Years of service, which culminated in a timeline presentation of the organisation.
From l-r: Anne O’Reilly, Judy Seymour, Joanna McMinn and Dr Margaret Ward
The Women’s Resource and Development Agency was started in 1983 with the aim of taking education out into the community during the difficult years of the Troubles.
But a quarter of a century on, the Agency has developed beyond original expectations and now not only has the group delivered training to local community groups across Northern Ireland, it also runs a successful social economy business, Community Direct.
Margaret Ward, Director of the WRDA, said “This is an important step forward as it enables us to develop our own income so that we can continue to work in communities and help women to access education.”
The Women’s Resource and Development Agency supports women through providing training, delivering community based health programmes and lobbying government to advance women’s equality. The agency works closely with other organisations within the women’s sector, so that the diverse needs of women can be recognised and addressed, particularly those in areas of disadvantage and social need.
“One of the most important things that we have achieved in the past twenty five years is to empower women,” Margaret Ward added. “By training women in local communities as facilitators, we have been able to develop the capacity of women from disadvantaged communities to tackle inequalities affecting them.”
Joanna McMinn was the first director of the WRDA (Women’s Education Project). “ I was really starting from scratch – it was just me, a desk and a filing cabinet. I went around and visited local women’s groups and ran courses on health and women’s rights.”
“There was a great hunger for learning among women then. It was a really terrible time and there was a lot of tension and this was a way of getting women to focus on doing something positive. It was important for women to get out of the house and not feel so isolated. Many women progressed on from our courses onto higher or further education and into careers. This is an essential first step for so many women,”
Joanna added. “People think things are all sorted here so we don’t need to do anything anymore but they couldn’t be more wrong. Education for women within their own areas can provide a lifeline for someone who feels isolated and it can get them on the first step to getting an education and getting into employment,” she added.
To access current Director, Dr Margaret Ward’s speech, click here
To download a Timeline, charting the history of the WRDA, click here
For more information on the WRDA, contact 028 9023 0212.
