Debate contribution: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls
Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on .
- MLA
- Ms Michelle O'Neill
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 21 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Ending Violence Against Women and Girls
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5742049
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thanks. To build on what I have just said, a considerable amount of work is going on in this area. Last week, myself, the deputy First Minister, the Justice Minister and the Chief Constable of the PSNI came together to launch our Power to Change campaign. That is very much a collective effort, building on the first stage of the awareness-raising and other work that we have taken forward already. It is very much targeted at young men and boys. As we all know, young men and boys have a role to play in challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours, and becoming positive allies. It is important that we are not always simply talking to them and that they know that they can be part of the solution. The message of that campaign is that online abuse has real-life consequences. We all know that; Members know that from their experiences. Things are said online — on TikTok, on Snapchat, shared through WhatsApp or whatever; it does not matter the platform — and the campaign is designed to say to young boys, "When you see something that isn't on, say it's not on. Call it out. Show leadership in your friendship group". It is not about lecturing young people; it is about asking them to think. When you see the imagery of the campaign, you see a number of adverts targeting different scenarios, which, in fact, have been designed in cooperation with young people, because they know how to speak to their peers much better than we do. There is strength in that. It is about showing respect, calling things out when you see them and recognising that young men and boys can be our allies in this problem that we have across society.
292 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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