FLAC: This International Women’s Day we need Access to Justice to make Women’s Rights Real and Effective #IWD2026

4 March 2026

In advance of International Women’s Day 2026, FLAC has written to members of the Oireachtas to highlight the barriers to justice faced by women in Ireland, including a system of civil legal aid which is in crisis and ineffective anti-discrimination legislation, and how those barriers can be addressed.

The theme of International Women’s Day 2026 - “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls” - resonates strongly with FLAC’s ongoing equality and civil legal aid campaigns.

Speaking in advance of International Women’s Day, FLAC Chief Executive Eilis Barry stated:

It is really important that we go beyond platitudes on International Women’s Day 2026. If we want to improve the situation of women in a meaningful way and make their rights real and effective, we need to ensure access to justice by addressing the ongoing civil legal aid crisis.

The Minister for Justice urgently needs to set out a timeline and Action Plan for reform of that system. FLAC recently outlined our comprehensive and practical recommendations in this area to the Oireachtas Justice Committee. Measures which would improve the lives of women in a practical way include removing the highly restrictive means test for access to civil legal aid in cases concerning domestic violence. Legal aid should be made available in discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, equal pay, and maternity and pregnancy protection cases. We need a properly-resourced national legal information and advice services so that women, including victims of domestic violence, can have easy access to legal information on all of their family, housing and welfare rights.

The Government should also finalise and enact the Equality (Miscellaneous Provision) Bill 2025 which would be a clear statement of Ireland’s commitment to gender equality. The 2025 Bill should clearly prohibit intersectional discrimination so that older women, disabled women and Traveller and Roma women who have experienced this form of combined discrimination will be protected from discrimination. Areas such as social welfare, social housing, healthcare, and the functions of public bodies that impact on the lives of women (like the Department of Health, the HSE, and the Department of Social Protection) should be brought explicitly within the scope of  the equality legislation so that discrimination in these key areas can be challenged.”

ENDS.

• More detailed information (including our full recommendations) about FLAC’s campaign for improved civil legal aid is contained in our recent submission on that topic to the Oireachtas Justice Committee.
• More detailed information (including our full recommendations) about FLAC’s campaign for more effective equality legislation is contained in our 2025 submission to the Oireachtas Equality Committee.

About FLAC:

FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres) is an independent legal, human rights and equality organisation, which works in a number of different ways to promote equal access to justice:

• In 2024, our Telephone Information and Referral Line responded to 11,435 queries. FLAC also provides Phone Legal Advice Clinics.
• Our independent law centre provides targeted legal services for the Traveller and Roma communities and also undertakes public interest litigation (i.e. cases which may have an impact beyond the individual).
• FLAC also operates PILA which facilitates NGOs to obtain legal assistance from private lawyers via its pro bono referral scheme.
• FLAC makes policy recommendations in relation to areas of law that most impact on people living in poverty and disadvantage, including equality and anti-discrimination law, social welfare law, housing law, human rights law, and access to justice.