Gender Advisory Panel

In the Programme for Government 2008-2011, the Northern Ireland Executive commits to tackling remaining gender inequalities, implementing the cross departmental Gender Equality Strategy and working towards the total elimination of the gender pay gap.   

To ensure continued engagement and a partnership approach to working with our stakeholders on these issues, this document sets out the role, membership and business of the gender advisory panel over the period April 2008 – June 2009.

Working in partnership with the Gender Equality Unit, the Panel will advise and assist in the development and monitoring of cross-departmental gender equality action plans for women and men, to deliver the Gender Equality Strategy for Northern Ireland 2006-2016. In doing so, the Panel will take account of the provisions of the Programme for Government, including those regarding effective programmes and strategies aimed at achieving the eradication of all forms of violence against women; at combating the lack of women’s representation in political and public life; and at ensuring access to affordable quality childcare.

In advising the Gender Equality Unit, members of the panel will ensure that they reflect the views and opinions of their organisations and ensure that the multiple identities of their members are considered. The Gender Equality Unit will ensure that the views of the panel are reflected in advice to the Ministers.

Members of the panel will ensure that information is appropriately provided by them to other interested groups and stakeholders.

Read the Terms of Reference for the group.

Invited as members to the Gender Advisory Panel are representatives of women’s organisations, representatives of men’s organisations, the ECNI, NIC/ICTU and CBI.  The Gender Equality Unit will ensure that membership is sufficiently broad to cover all issues relevant to the strategy and action plans;  and will also maintain contacts across the voluntary and community sector as required. For reasons of manageability, as a general rule there will be a limit of 25 on numbers attending regular panel meetings (except for seminars etc which the panel may convene).

The panel will review its membership as work on the two action plans progresses.

A senior official from OFMDFM will chair the meetings with the Panel.

Meetings will be held to facilitate progress on the development and completion of the cross departmental action plans for women and men. Members of the Advisory Panel will be given two optional dates 4 weeks in advance of a meeting. Discussion can also be completed by e-mail and post. Meetings with particular Panel members may be held separately.

The Gender Equality Unit will support meetings of the panel.

These terms of reference will be kept under review as the work on the action plans progresses.