Women in Public Life: A report examining how successful the Positive Relations and Extending Positive Relations Programmes have been in encouraging women to take on active roles in leadership and public life

This research was carried out by John Mooney and Anne Billiet of the Training for Women Network (TWN) as part of the evaluation process of the PEACE III funded Positive Relations and Extending Positive Relations Projects. The overall purpose of this research was to assess how successful the two phases of the project were
in encouraging women participants to take up active roles in leadership and public participation. Therefore the research has focused on notions of participation, citizenship, empowerment and identity as well as on issues related to the barriers faced both real and perceived by women in public life, how they experienced and justified their engagement, what their motives and conviction and how they perceived power.