Jane Morrice facts for kids

Jane Morrice (born 11 May 1954) is a Northern Irish politician and journalist. She played an important part in creating the Good Friday Agreement. This agreement helped bring peace to Northern Ireland.

Jane Morrice was once the Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly. She also led the European Commission Office in Northern Ireland. Before that, she worked as a reporter for BBC Belfast. From 2013 to 2015, and again from 2019 to 2020, she was a Vice President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). She also worked for the Northern Ireland Equality Commission. Jane was a key member of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition.

Early Life and Education

Jane Morrice was born in Belfast. She went to Ashleigh House School and Methodist College Belfast. Later, she studied at the University of Ulster. She earned a degree in European Studies. Jane can speak French very well. She also knows some Spanish and German.

Her career started in 1980 as a journalist in Brussels. In 1986, she moved to BBC Belfast. There, she reported on news and current events during a difficult time known as 'the Troubles'. She later became a business reporter.

In 1992, Jane became the Head of the European Commission (EC) Office in Northern Ireland. She helped create the first EU PEACE Programme. This program has invested a lot of money to support peace projects. These projects help different communities work together.

Working for Peace and Equality

Jane Morrice became involved in politics in 1996. She helped start the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. This group worked to include women's voices in politics.

In 1998, she was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly. She represented the area of North Down. In 2000, she became the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly. This role meant she helped lead meetings and discussions. She also worked on committees about trade and public money.

Jane was involved in putting the Good Friday Agreement into action. She helped set the rules for how the Assembly would work.

After leaving the Assembly in 2003, Jane continued her work for peace. In 2006, she joined the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels. This committee brings together people from different European countries. In 2013, she was elected Vice President of the EESC. She led meetings with members from many different countries.

Jane also worked as Deputy Chief Commissioner for the Northern Ireland Equality Commission. In this role, she helped promote fairness and equal chances for everyone. She especially worked to help women get involved in local government.

As an EESC member, Jane wrote reports about how the EU helps build peace. She has also worked to share Northern Ireland's peace-building experiences with other places. She has done this in countries like Afghanistan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Cyprus.

For her important work, Jane was given the Boston Certificate of Recognition for Peace and Equality. In 2019, she ran as an Independent candidate in the European Parliament election. In 2023, she received an Honorary Doctorate from Queens University Belfast. This was given on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.