Herstory have launched Peace Heroines, a new education programme about the pivotal role of women in the Northern Ireland peace process - enjoy a gallery of the featured artworks above.
Herstory partnered with the National Museums NI and Department of Foreign Affairs to create the Peace Heroines programme, which features a touring exhibition showcasing a series of portraits by artist Friz, and youth workshops exploring the stories behind the featured women, and the pivotal roles they played in the peace process over the decades.
From grassroots to government levels, the exhibition captures a diversity of voices and perspectives, featuring 30 women's stories including Monica McWilliams and Pearl Sagar, Linda Ervine MBE, Pat Hume, Baroness May Blood MBE, Hillary Clinton and Saidie Patterson.
"There was a big risk in doing cross community work," says Baroness May Blood. "You were threatened but when you get a group of very strong women together who have a real aim in life, there's very little that stops them, even a threat."
with her portrait
Powerful partnerships are explored such as Peace People, NI Women's Coalition, Women Together, Derry Peace Women and the special dynamic between Shankill and Falls Women’s Centres through the leadership of Eileen Weir and Susan McCrory.
The project was sparked by a timely conversation at the United Nations back in 2019. Herstory CEO & project curator Melanie Lynch explains: "When I met with Ireland's Ambassador to the UN Geraldine Nason-Byrne she explained to me that the role of women in the Northern Ireland Peace Process is a key United Nations case study. I reached out to our school contacts and they confirmed that this essential story is not taught on the official school curriculum in Northern Ireland or the Republic. Our new Peace Heroines project aims to change that and introduce students and the public to these legendary activists and inspire the next generation of peace builders. It's time to write herstory into history."
The Peace Heroines exhibition will tours across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through 2023 and 2024 - find out more here.
