Rhonda Paisley facts for kids

Rhonda Paisley was born in 1960. She is an author from Northern Ireland. She also used to be a politician. Rhonda is the second daughter of Ian Paisley. Her father was a very important political leader. He was the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He was also Northern Ireland's former First Minister. Rhonda lives with her mother in the family home.

About Rhonda Paisley

Rhonda Paisley was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This happened in 1960. She went to Bob Jones University in the United States. There, she studied Fine Art. She earned a special degree called a Bachelor of Arts (BA). Her father also received an honorary degree from the same university.

Her Time in Politics

Rhonda Paisley was a politician for eight years. She served as a councillor for Belfast City Council. She represented the DUP party. In 1986, Sammy Wilson became the first DUP Lord Mayor of Belfast. He chose Rhonda Paisley to be the Lady Mayoress during his time in office. Rhonda left politics after eight years. She later said that "the game plan of politics frustrated me." This means she found the way politics worked to be difficult.

On Television

Rhonda Paisley once presented a TV show. It was called Saturday Live. This was a chat-show on the Republic of Ireland's RTÉ One channel. Her father, Ian Paisley, was one of her guests on the show.

Standing Up for Herself

In 1998, Rhonda Paisley took a case to a Fair Employment Tribunal. This was against the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. She said she faced religious discrimination. This means she felt she was treated unfairly because of her religious beliefs. She was given £24,249. The tribunal decided she had been treated unfairly. This happened when she applied for a job in 1995. The job was for an arts co-operation officer. Rhonda is a long-time member of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster. Her father started this church.

In 2005, Rhonda Paisley took another legal action. This time, she said she faced gender discrimination from the DUP. She named her father, Ian Paisley, in this case. This happened after she did not get a job she applied for. The job was in the DUP's policy and communications unit. The case was settled outside of court. Rhonda Paisley received an apology from the party.