ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the gendered implications of the recent trend towards secessionism in UK politics. The considerable impact that women have made thus far on the policy priorities and structures of the Scottish Parliament would seem to lend support to the argument that devolution as a political process should be welcomed by feminists. The chapter explores in detail the contribution made by the Coalition to the Talks process leading to the formation of the Assembly. It includes a critical evaluation of the usefulness of the concept of gendered news frames in accounting for the complex and contradictory ways in which the media represent womens involvement in public sphere roles. The chapter focuses on the contribution made by the Northern Ireland Womens Coalition (NIWC) towards shaping the new Northern Irish Assembly, since this offers an opportunity, unique in the UK, to examine the self-construction and representation of an all-women party political grouping.
