Vision NIRWN's vision is a rural community where women are respected and valued and where they have the opportunities, confidence and ability to visibly take up positions of power and influence in all areas of life. Mission NIRWN's mission, as the only rural regional support organisation, is to advance rural women's equality and participation in society. We will ensure rural women are recognised and supported to fully participate as equal citizens in the development of sustainable rural communities and society. Ethos and Values • NIRWN believes that all women have the right to dignity, equality and respect. • We acknowledge that women face particular challenges as they go about their everyday lives • We recognise that inequality is based on and sustained by structures and systems which limit personal choice and freedom. • We recognise and value the diverse roles rural women play in society. • We subscribe to the principles and actions of the united Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and other international commitments promoting women's rights • We believe that women's rights are central and implicit in the pursuit of human rights for all. • We promote and practice participation, inclusion and collaboration as a means to promote the voice of all rural women Principles of Working • NIRWN will build on learning that has already taken place and will work with others to build good relations and community relations. • NIRWN will support and add to current work and initiatives. • NIRWN will adopt a bottom up approach - we will not duplicate or replace the excellent work of the Women's Networks and in particular local groups, we will celebrate the value of the traditional women's groups as part of our everyday work • NIRWN wish to avoid acting as a 'one-stop' shop for government. We want to be respected as an organisation that has access to rural women across Northern Ireland who can build relationships with local women and who will consult with them to apply their knowledge, skills and experience of rural areas to inform policy. • NIRWN will always link their work to a wider vision regarding rural life and communities. Understandings • Gender is about the relationship between women and men and the ways in which their roles are socially constructed. Gender equality is everyone's business. This means engaging with and building relationships with men. • Gender equality is being sought in a complex and diverse society: age, race, class, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation, mental and physical abilities, language, religion, politics. Gender equality can only be achieved by valuing this diversity and building relationships. • Gender equality is an essential part of building a more just, inclusive and prosperous society. Treating women and men identically however will not ensure equal outcomes because women and men occupy different social levels and experience different living situations. Barriers to equality are rooted in long-standing attitudes and traditions not only about women, but also about race, age, sexual orientation, disability, colour etc. In particular, the life situations of women outside the dominant culture - women with disabilities, women from visible minorities, elderly women, lesbians, lone mothers, women in poverty - are quite different from the mainstream. Equality for all women will come about only as these attitudes, imbedded in the workplace, educational institutions and the family, are challenged and begin to change. • There is no direct link between getting more women into decision making bodies and those bodies becoming more aware and effective with regards to gender equality. It's not just about 'getting the women in'; it's about changing the 'in'