The conflict in and about Northern Ireland had a profound impact on women, particularly in those communities that were disproportionately impacted by the violence. This discussion will explore the role women play in bringing about peace and maintaining it at the grassroots level.

Lisa Faulkner-Byrne is the director of LJ Consultancy, which focuses on research, engagement and policy development in the areas of conflict transformation, peace building, reconciliation, and social justice. In addition, Byrne lectures on social policy and politics at Ulster University. For over twenty years, she has worked with a number of local and international NGOs, responding to the needs of marginalized and disenfranchised groups, including women, political ex-prisoners, former combatants, and minority ethnic groups. Byrne received a PhD from Ulster University in 2013, focusing on the dynamics between the government policy-making process and localized responses to social need in post-conflict Belfast, Northern Ireland.