The Northern Ireland Women's Coalition (NIWC) has called on people and politicians to "keep the Belfast Agreement working at all levels".
Introducing the party's manifesto in Belfast yesterday, Prof Monica McWilliams said the Women's Coalition had "deliberately chosen not to run a negative campaign, which undermines the democratic process and the credibility of other candidates".
"Other politicians tell voters what they cannot do: our manifesto tells them what we can do," she said.
However, the party had done "a lot of hard work on the ground" and would not withdraw at the behest of other parties which represented the "macho politics of dinosaurs" while showing little interest in local issues, Prof McWilliams said. In the manifesto, the NIWC reiterates its "commitment to strive for a Northern Ireland where freedom and security can be guaranteed and access to high standards of services are rights for all, not privileges for a few".
It continues: "It's time to shore up the progress made in Northern Ireland."
One of the document's priority areas is policing. "Northern Ireland needs a policing service that works with the community, and we need it now. We believe that now is the time for young nationalists and women to join the police. We have not been fearful of declaring our position on this before the election."
Women should constitute at least one-third of the new service, the document states. It also calls for plastic bullets to be banned.
The NIWC calls for the introduction of a strong bill of rights, including positive action on exclusion and discrimination, as well as a new accessible criminal justice service with a code of practice for dealing with victims.
As for education, the manifesto calls for the abolition of the 11-plus transfer test and of tuition fees for students.
It also wants to see guaranteed access to high-quality healthcare for everybody and greater emphasis on environmental issues.