In this International Women’s Day special, LLM student Sofia Debernardi speaks with Dr Evelyn Collins CBE, former Chief Executive of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and Honorary Professor at Queen’s University Belfast. Across a remarkable career spanning more than 30 years, Dr Collins has been a central figure in shaping equality law, mainstreaming duties, and policy across Northern Ireland, the UK, and Europe.
In conversation with Sofia, she reflects on:
- her early ambition to become Northern Ireland’s first female judge;
- studying criminology in Toronto and discovering feminism;
- her unexpected path into equality law;
- leading the newly merged Equality Commission for NI;
- influencing European policy, including work on sexual harassment, positive action, and equality bodies;
- her role in shaping Section 75, the Good Friday Agreement, and Article 2 of the Windsor Framework;
- and her guidance for young people pursuing socially impactful careers in law today.
This episode offers an inspiring insight into how one woman’s commitment to justice and opportunity helped transform equality legislation at home and abroad.
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