Brexit, Gender and Northern Ireland

Abstract

This chapter considers how Brexit intersects with gender in Northern Ireland in a multi-layered and multi-dimensional manner. It shows how internal politics, location bordering a European Union state, and the legacy of conflict interact to create unique conditions for the Brexit process and women’s rights. It notes that while female political leaders are visible in the debate, women’s civil society organisations are not. The chapter highlights that the equivalence of rights on the island, guaranteed by the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, is not sustainable in a post-Brexit context and has the potential for women’s rights in Northern Ireland to fall behind those enjoyed by women in the Republic of Ireland. The chapter concludes by discussing the region’s participation in the European Economic Area as a possible solution to the tensions on the island created by Brexit.