“That actually broke down some of the stereotypes because people were being told, ‘the others’ have it better than you, but when they met in each other’s centres, they realised they had very similar problems'
Local level contact between women across the divide during Northern Ireland’s darkest days helped pave the way for the peace process, a leading community worker has said.
Avila Kilmurray said apple tarts were among the tactics used to keep all sides engaging with each other. She got involved in the early days of the women’s and community movement, and helped to set up the first Women’s Aid refuge in the city, despite officials telling her there was no need for it. She said 1981 saw the start of the Women’s Information Network in the greater Belfast area to bring together local groups once a month, initially in neutral areas before going into each others areas.
“It was literally that simple theory, if someone wasn’t turning up, going and asking them, and see how the issue could be resolved.
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