Years of unrest and violence pushed apart once close communities in the border regions. Both Co. Fermanagh and its neighbouring Co. Donegal were severely affected, with many communities suffering both social and economic decline. Although only a few miles apart, communities in these counties were reluctant to engage with each other for decades.

Now an innovative project supported by the Fund is bringing together women from both sides of the border to share their experiences and to learn together.

Donegal-based group Second Chance Education Project for Women and Fermanagh Women’s Network have come together to create a new project, entitled ‘The Second Chance Education Project for Women’.

Breege Doherty, Second Chance’s Project Officer describes the issues facing women in the region: “Women in Fermanagh and Donegal are faced with issues common to all rural areas. They are often isolated, lacking access to child care and women’s services, as well as to appropriate education opportunities – transport access remains a very real issue.  In addition, we find that the role of women is often more traditional and stereotyped.

“Coping with these challenges has been further complicated by the impact of over 30 years of conflict. Research into the impact of conflict on women’s roles has found that they often regress to traditional tasks and are further excluded from decisions about their community. There is no doubt that for women in Donegal and Fermanagh, the impact of the conflict has been very deep.

“Our vision is that the Second Chance Education Project will build shared understanding and mutual respect for neighbours across the border and within communities. We hope that over the next two years of the project local women will explore each other’s cultural identities and the impact of conflict on their lives, and establish meaningful relationships with each other. We believe that by taking a creative approach to how we bring groups together, it will be easier for women to look at difficult issues together.”

Given the Project’s ambitious goals, they recognise that promoting reconciliation is a long-term challenge for the project and for the local women involved. Breege says: “We have been very encouraged by the positive response from existing women’s groups across both counties, but acknowledge that building relationships, mutual respect and understanding takes time. Ultimately we aim to create a cross-border and cross-community network for women which will continue reconciliation work in the long term.”

Some of the activities already undertaken in the last 12 months include meetings with women’s groups in their own area, hosting cross-border workshops and linking with projects in other areas. In April 2009, the groups collaborated to launch the Cross-Border Peace and Reconciliation Project for Women, an initiative to provide community-arts based education opportunities for women in both regions of Donegal and Fermanagh, allowing them to explore and share their experiences of living in a border area during the conflict. 

Speaking at the launch, special guest Dame Nuala O’Loan, Ireland’s Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, and Special Envoy for Conflict Resolution to Timor Leste said: “Over the years of the Troubles, there was a huge amount of reconciliation work done by women in formal and informal projects – many of them cross community. We will never know the extent and impact of that work, but we do know that it was hugely important. We have seen great courage and initiative as women working together made contributions which had the effect over the years of changing local environments, understanding and expectation.”