New advisory committee to focus on women and women’s stories in the national cultural collections

New advisory committee to focus on women and women’s stories in the national cultural collections

Minister Martin announces National Women’s Museum to be considered as part of the work of the Committee

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin T.D. today announced the appointment of the members of the Advisory Committee on the Representation of Women and Women’s Stories within the collections of the National Cultural Institutions.

In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the need to address the under-representation of women’s contributions to the State’s political, scientific, social and cultural history. It is against this backdrop that Minister Martin has established the committee to recommend actions that showcase the achievements of women within the National Cultural Institutions and the National Collection.

As part of its work, the committee will also consider the possibility of creating a dedicated presentation of women’s stories through a range of options. These options may include a women’s museum, a re-imagining of the National Collection or other initiatives that the committee considers appropriate.

The advisory committee will be chaired by Dr Sandra Collins, University Librarian in University College Dublin, and former Director of the National Library of Ireland. The advisory committee includes members from national cultural institutions in Ireland and abroad, historians, experts in gender and equality studies, representatives from the National Women’s Council of Ireland and from relevant Government departments, and those with a range of other experiences and expertise.

Speaking today, Minister Martin, said:

“The Programme for Government is founded on the principle of equality and ensuring that every citizen can achieve their full potential and today’s announcement is another step towards recognising fully the contributions of women to Irish society. The committee members have been carefully selected taking into account their experience and expertise. The Chair of the Committee, Dr Sandra Collins has dedicated much of her career to our National Cultural Institutions and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge which will be invaluable to guiding the committee’s work. I want to also thank the Women’s Museum Advocacy group for their work, and support, in bringing forward these proposals.

“While we are at the beginning of this journey, I am confident that the work of this committee will help address the imbalances that persist in the representation of women’s stories. I have asked the committee to take account of the diversity of women’s lives and to bring to the fore the voices of historically marginalised women. I am confident this initiative can help start conversations about how we record and represent the stories of women in our history, and the impact that under-representation has on how we see ourselves at both an individual and societal level.”

Chair of the advisory committee, Dr Sandra Collins, stated:

"I am honoured to be appointed to this role by Minister Martin, and I look forward to working with all the Committee members to make meaningful recommendations on the representation of women and women's stories."

Notes to Editor:

The members of the Advisory Committee are:

• Dr, Sandra Collins, University Librarian, UCD

• Dr Mary McAuliffe, Director of Gender Studies UCD

• Áine Kerr, Entrepreneur and Women in Leadership Advocate

• Lynn Scarff, Director NMI

• Annie Fletcher, Director IMMA

• Sara Lammens, General Director, Royal Library of Belgium (KBR)

• Dr Zélie Asava, Writer and Expert on Race, Gender and Representation

• Oein DeBhairduin, NMI Traveller Culture Collections Development Officer

• Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan, Writer & Cultural Consultant

• Colm O’Callaghan, Executive Director, The Gate Theatre

• Dr. Síobhra Aiken, Department of Irish and Celtic Studies, Queen’s University, Belfast

• Sinéad Copeland, Principal Officer, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

• Other members will be confirmed in the coming week including members from the National Women’s Council and relevant Government Departments.