Equality Fund 2020-2023
Supporting communities to make Ireland a more equal place
At Rethink Ireland, we know that Ireland is not an equal place for everyone who lives here. We are committed to partnering with civil society organisations to challenge these inequalities and to create a country where everyone can feel accepted and thrive.
This is why we created The Equality Fund 2020 – 2023. This €3 million Fund is supported by the Peter Kinney and Lisa Sandquist Foundation and the Government of Ireland. This Fund will support organisations and groups that empower marginalised communities and tackle systemic inequality.
On Tuesday 12th May 2021, Rethink Ireland announced the eleven Awardees of The Equality Fund. This Fund has three strands: Empowering Women, Strengthening Communities, and Building Equality Together. Read more about the Awardees below, and on The Equality Fund website: equalityfund.ie
Awardees
Empowering Women
Empowering Traveller Women
Tipperary Rural Travellers Project
Empowering Traveller Women
The Empowering Traveller Women Project, set up by the Tipperary Rural Travellers Project (TRTP), works with Traveller women to find meaningful employment for them in their locality. It seeks solutions to discrimination and racism based on the insights of Traveller women who have experienced both injustices first-hand. “Nothing about us without us.”
The DAVINA Project
SAOL Project
The DAVINA Project
The DAVINA Project (Domestic Abuse/Violence Is Never Acceptable) concentrates on women survivors of addiction and domestic sexual and gender-based violence. Women with addiction issues are marginalised and rarely look for help from health or social services. The DAVINA Project runs an education and recovery programme for them, including those in an abusive relationship.
The Great Care Co-Op
The Great Care Co-Op
The Great Care Co-op is Ireland’s first carer-owned home care co-operative. Set up and designed by migrant women with over 70 years’ collective experience in the sector, it emerged from almost two decades of advocacy work at the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland. With its equality and human rights emphasis, the Co-op channels profit back into the organisation where it is invested in worker training, pensions and a top class service to its clients.
WorkLINC
LINC
WorkLINC
LINC aims to improve the health and wellbeing of all women in Ireland who identify as lesbian or bisexual. In addition, it addresses the barriers to employment these women face. It does this through a community education programme that examines issues such as internalised homophobia and minority stress, and by providing training and support. WorkLINC also delivers a training programme for employers wanting to develop inclusive workplaces for LGBTI+ employees.
Strengthening Communities
Building Resilient Communities For Change
Migrant Rights Centre Ireland
Building Resilient Communities For Change
The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) works nationally to defend the rights of migrant workers and their families at risk of exploitation, social exclusion and discrimination. Building Resilient Communities for Change delivers a programme of community work to build leadership in migrant communities, to empower migrant workers to secure better working conditions and decent wages. It reaches out to the MRCI’s supporters asking them to take action to challenge inequality and injustice.
Nothing About Us Without Us
Sex Workers Alliance Ireland
Nothing About Us Without Us
Sex Workers Alliance Ireland is frontline, worker-led and defends the human rights, safety and self-determination of sex workers in Ireland through outreach, advocacy and community building. This non-judgmental, rights-based, peer-to-peer model is unique in Ireland. The alliance comprises and represents some of the country’s most marginalised and vulnerable people.
The National Platform of Self-Advocates
Centre for Disability Law and Policy, NUI Galway
The National Platform of Self-Advocates
The National Platform of Self Advocates is an independent organisation run by people with intellectual disabilities for people with intellectual disabilities. It is a membership organisation aiming to improve the lives of people with disabilities. It is founded on the rights of people with intellectual disabilities to be viewed as equal citizens with rights as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Transforming Traveller Education: From Access to Outcomes
Pavee Point
Transforming Traveller Education: From Access to Outcomes
Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre is a national NGO that includes Travellers, Roma and members of the majority settled population. It aims to counteract educational disadvantage locally and nationally through innovative practices and policy initiatives. Pavee Point’s rights-based approach to education puts Travellers centre stage and builds on the Programme for Government commitments that it itself secured.
Building Equality Together
Far Right Observatory
Uplift is the lead partner working with the Irish Council of Civil Liberties, Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, Community Work Ireland, National Women’s Council of Ireland, SIPTU, Friends of the Earth, Irish Network Against Racism, Pavee Point, Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland, BeLonG To, This Is Me, Black Pride Ireland, USI, TENI
Far Right Observatory
The Far Right Observatory (FRO) is a collective platform founded to monitor, analyse, inform and take action to counter far-right activity and hate in Ireland. Over the next three years, FRO will generate top class analysis and information, resource civil society to meet the challenge of rising Islamophobia, antisemitism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and racism, and innovate new approaches to disrupt and minimise the harm of far-right extremism.
Support Training Advocacy Network Development (STAND) Against Racism
Irish Network Against Racism
Support Training Advocacy Network Development (STAND) Against Racism
INAR (the Irish Network Against Racism) is a national network of over 150 organisations working to combat racism in Ireland. Its STAND Against Racism project equips minority leaders to challenge discrimination by developing an advocate collective led by survivors of racism and discrimination. Research produced by this group will help inform the national response to racism and drive change in institutions and communities.
Think Equality
Donegal Local Development Company CLG (DLDC) with Donegal Intercultural Platform and Donegal Travellers Project
Think Equality
Think Equality is a partnership between Donegal Local Development CLG, Donegal Intercultural Platform and Donegal Travellers Project. The Think Equality initiative will work to eliminate prejudice, discrimination and racism across the county of Donegal and promote the full and meaningful inclusion of Black Minority Ethnic Communities including Traveller and Roma Communities across rural Donegal including on local decision-making structures. The project will seek to build dynamic relationships at an individual and societal level which will be based on understanding, acceptance, trust, respect and equality. This initiative will continue to act and struggle for Human Rights and Equality at a county and regional level.
