In the male-dominated world of Northern Irish politics, the creation of a cross-community women's party to fight the Forum elections in 1996 did not go unnoticed. Created to give Northern Irish women a voice in the peace talks, the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition has not only played a significant role in the drafting of the Good Friday Agreement, it has also managed to give women more visibility in Northern Irish politics and contributed to the promotion of a women's agenda. Although it initially succeeded in securing seats both at local and national level, the party did not withstand the polarisation of Northern Irish politics that marked the 2003 elections and decided to wind up in May 2006.