Women’s Education Initiative - Ireland

Source: Government of Ireland

A Women’s Education Initiative was established in 1998 with assistance under the 1994-1999 Community Support Framework to assist projects to address the current gaps in provision for educationally disadvantaged women. Thirteen projects are being supported to develop models of good practice, to improve provision for educationally disadvantaged women. The aim is that these models will be capable of wider application and will impact on future policy thereby bringing about long-term change in the further education opportunities for educationally disadvantaged women and men.

The measure will provide for an expansion of such activity, focused not just on the particular needs of women, but also on the needs of educationally disadvantaged men. Funding will be used to seed innovation and learning which will inform future practice, particularly in ensuring effective strategies for those who are most in need. While many of the projects selected will continue to have a single sex focus, there will be scope under the initiative also to test innovative approaches to the development of community education models for other specifically marginalised groups. The aim of the projects selected under this initiative will be to:

• Address gaps in the provision of education and training for specific marginalised groups;
• Build local capacity and test models of community education;
• Develop support structures and provide for accreditation and partnerships between statutory and voluntary agencies;
• Mainstream learning;
• Facilitate progression of marginalised groups and individuals;
• Disseminate learning and share good practice.

Provision for this measure, will amount to £3.5 million (€4.4 million), £2.5 million (€3.1 million) in the S&E Region and £1 million 1.3 million) in the BMW Region.

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