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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Ruth McAreaveyORCiD, Dr Katharine A. M. WrightORCiD, Rebecca Donaldson
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
This article explores gender and social justice in post-conflict societies, using Northern Ireland as a case study. It focuses specifically on the socio-economic impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU (Brexit) on women in Northern Ireland using a social justice framework, drawing on recognition, redistribution and representation as conceptualised by Nancy Fraser (2005). It uses qualitative research conducted between 2022 and 2023 comprising focus groups, an expert seminar and semi-structured interviews sensitive to an intersectional understanding of women. While centred on Brexit, the findings have broader implications for understanding how post-conflict governance, sovereignty, and international obligations intersect with gendered inequalities. We argue that Brexit demonstrates a profound neglect of Northern Ireland’s unique position, politically and geographically, particularly the UK’s obligations under the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and underscores the marginalisation and exclusion of women’s voices in post-conflict governance. We find that the impact of Brexit on women in Northern Ireland is distinct and disproportionate from other parts of the UK for several reasons, including that it is a post-conflict society; there exists specific patterns of violence against women; and there is a prior reliance by the third sector on EU funding. The article thus contributes to a deeper understanding of the systemic barriers that inhibit participatory equality and outlines pathways for achieving social justice in Northern Ireland.
Author(s): McAreavey R, Wright KAM, Donaldson R
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: British Journal of Sociology
Year: 2025
Issue: ePub ahead of Print
Online publication date: 22/03/2025
Acceptance date: 12/03/2025
Date deposited: 25/03/2025
ISSN (print): 0007-1315
ISSN (electronic): 1468-4446
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.13207
DOI: 10.1111/1468-4446.13207
Data Access Statement: Research data are not shared.
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