What is civil society?
A strong and diverse civil society is a key component of our democracy to be supported and nurtured.
We aim to engage with civil society organisations that work to promote and protect human rights and equality in Ireland. This broadly includes, national or local community and voluntary organisations, networks, non-governmental organisations, rights-holder groups, area-based community groups, communities of interest groups, and trade unions.
A focus of our engagement is groups who are most likely to experience inequality or non-fulfilment of their rights. This includes, people and groups protected under the nine grounds of the equality legislation: gender, civil status, family status, age, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion, membership of the Traveller community, as well as people and communities experiencing poverty, socio-economic discrimination, or exclusion, including international protection applicants and migrant communities.
How do we work with Civil Society?
We work to support the conditions that enable a vibrant civil society that has the space, supports and resources to advocate and take action to protect and promote human rights and equality, and hold the State to account.
We promote the meaningful involvement of people and groups most likely to experience inequality and non-fulfilment of their human rights in decisions that affect them. We recognise lived experience as a crucial expertise that informs our work and should inform that of the State. We value a community development approach to empowering people to take collective action to advocate for and claim their rights.
We work, on an ongoing basis, to strengthen our relationship and engagement with civil society. Where possible, we want to combine our efforts and work collaborative to advance human rights and equality in line with our strategic priorities. Priorities shaped by civil society.
How do we engage with and support civil society?
We engage with and support civil society in a range of ways.
Every year, under our Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme, we provide grants to civil society organisations to carry-out projects to strengthen human rights and equality in Ireland. The themes of the Grants Schemes reflect the strategic priorities set out in the Commission’s Strategy Statement. The outcomes of the projects support the advocacy efforts of civil society and inform the work of the Commission.
We are starting to produce a range of guides to support advocacy and action by civil society to promote and protect human rights and equality.
We invite civil society organisations to take part in consultations.
These can include invitations to make written submission and/or take part in consultation meetings.
Such consultations informed:
- IHREC Strategy Statement 2025-27
- IHREC Report to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- IHREC Report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
We organise forums with civil society from time to time to share information or reflect on current or emerging human rights and equality issues.
Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme
Every year, we provide grants to bodies to carry out certain activities to promote human rights and equality in Ireland. Each year, we fund projects under a number of themes, directly linked to our strategic priorities.