Monica McWilliams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monica McWilliams
Co-leader of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
In office 1996–2006 Serving with Pearl Sagar
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast South
In office 25 June 1998 – 26 November 2003
Preceded by	New Creation
Succeeded by	Alex Maskey
Member of the Northern Ireland Forum
In office 30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998
Constituency	Top-up list
Personal details
Born	(1954-04-28) 28 April 1954 (age 71) Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
Political party	Northern Ireland Women's Coalition (1996 – 2006)
Residence	Belfast
Alma mater	Queen's University Belfast University of Michigan
Profession	Professor

Monica Mary McWilliams (born 28 April 1954) is an important person from Northern Ireland. She is known as a professor, a peace activist, and someone who defends human rights. She was also a politician.

In 1996, she helped start a political party called the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC). She was chosen to be a delegate at the peace talks. These talks led to the famous Good Friday Peace Agreement in 1998.

From 1998 to 2003, she was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Belfast South. She also led a committee focused on human rights. Later, she became the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission from 2005 to 2011. She also worked on prison reform. Today, she helps oversee the disbandment of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland.

She is an Emeritus Professor at Ulster University. She continues to research important topics like domestic violence. She also works with women in areas affected by conflict.

Early Life and Education

Monica McWilliams was born in Ballymoney, County Antrim. She grew up in Kilrea, County Londonderry. She went to school at Loreto College, Coleraine.

She studied at Queen's University Belfast and the University of Michigan. After her studies, she became a Professor of Women's Studies and Social Policy at the University of Ulster.

Working for Peace and Rights

Monica McWilliams, who is Catholic and lives in south Belfast, helped create the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition (NIWC). She started this party with Pearl Sagar, a Protestant social worker. They wanted to focus on women's rights and civil liberties.

She was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement in America. She felt that rights in Northern Ireland were also very important. Her main goal was to achieve a wider peace in Northern Ireland. This peace would be based on including everyone, protecting human rights, and ensuring equality.

The Good Friday Agreement

In 1996, Monica McWilliams and Pearl Sagar represented the Women’s Coalition at the peace talks. These talks led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. She became one of the few women globally to sign an international peace treaty.

During the talks, she faced challenges and unfair treatment because she was a woman in public life. She worked to change how women were treated. In the peace agreement, she helped make sure important things were included. These included support for victims, reconciliation, integrated education, and shared housing. These points were very important for the agreement's success.

Serving in the Assembly

From 1998 to 2003, she was one of two Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). She represented South Belfast. She also chaired the Human Rights Sub-Committee.

In the 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election, she lost her seat. In 2006, after ten years, the NIWC party decided to stop operating.

Human Rights and Justice Work

After leaving the Assembly, McWilliams returned to her university work. In 2005, she was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. She served two terms until 2011. Under her leadership, the Commission finished its advice for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

In 2011, she returned to the University of Ulster. She became a Professor of Women's Studies in the Transitional Justice Institute. This institute researches gender, human rights, and conflict.

She was also part of a group advising on prison reform in Northern Ireland from 2011 to 2015. In 2015, she was appointed to a panel working on the disbandment of paramilitary groups. From 2017 to 2021, she was part of the Independent Reporting Commission. This group oversaw recommendations from the panel's report.

She also led the Governing Board of Interpeace, an international organization in Geneva. She is now an Emeritus Professor at Ulster University.

Books and Research

Monica McWilliams has written or co-authored several books. These include Bringing It Out in the Open: Domestic Violence in Northern Ireland (1993) and Taking Domestic Violence Seriously (1996).

Her research in the 1990s helped create the first government policy on domestic violence. She has also published articles on how political conflict affects people. She works on conflict resolution and women's rights. She has led workshops with women in many conflict areas around the world.

In 1998, she was one of nine people from the Northern Ireland peace process to receive the John F. Kennedy Library Profile in Courage Award. In 2021, her book Stand up Speak Out: My Life working for women's rights, peace and equality in Northern Ireland and beyond was published. In 2023, she became a member of the Royal Irish Academy.

Awards and Recognition

Monica McWilliams has received many awards for her work. In 1999, she received the Frank Cousins Peace Award. She has also received honorary doctorates from several universities, including Queen's University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin.

In 2018, she received a Special Lifetime Achievement Award from Women in Business. This was to celebrate her life's work and 100 years of women's right to vote. Also in 2018, she was added to The Irish Tatler Hall of Fame. In November 2023, the BBC included her on their 100 Women list.

See also

• List of peace activists