Madam, - I write to express our dismay at the planned closure of the women's studies centre at NUI Galway (The Irish Times, February 16th). This will be a loss to the academic world, to women's organisations and to the whole community.
The centre has bridged the gap between academia and local groups working to promote women's equality since 1988. It has, for example, participated in the university's community knowledge initiative (CKI), whose purpose is to enhance relationships between the university and the wider community. In one strand, service learning, students learn from active participation and work experience in community-based organisations.
Women's studies students have been placed with a range of organisations, including the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland. Longford Women's Link, Mayo Women's Support Services, Waterside House (Women's Refuge), Galway Traveller Movement, and the Galway Refugee Support Group. The women's studies centre has produced the Irish Feminist Review for over a decade, providing a diversity of critical feminist perspectives on Irish society. The latest edition features challenging articles by leading Northern feminist intellectuals and commentators Eilish Rooney and Margaret Ward on Northern women and the peace process.
The decision to close the centre unfortunately reinforces the perception that we have no more need for actively pursuing feminist goals in an academic context - whereas the goals of feminism worldwide have not only not been achieved, but are continually being undermined and delegitimised. - Yours, etc,
JOANNA McMINN, Director, National Women's Council of Ireland, Marlborough Court, Dublin 1.