Debate contribution: Strategic Framework to End Violence against Women and Girls: Implementation

Debate contribution by Ms Emma Sheerin on 26 February 2024.

MLA

Ms Emma Sheerin

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

26 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Strategic Framework to End Violence against Women and Girls: Implementation

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4230576

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chéad-Aire. Déanaim comhghairdeas léi faoina post nua. Bíodh a fhios aici go bhfuil na daoine i Lár Uladh iontach bródúil aisti ag an am seo.

We are moving this motion this afternoon —.

Gabh mo leithscéal.

Can I move the motion? Is that me?

I beg to move

I should have said, "Ba mhaith liom é a mholadh." That translates as "I want to move it". We are moving the motion this afternoon because we want to end violence against women and girls. We are agreed across the House on the importance of that and on the harm that violence against women and girls does. We know that this is a commitment from the previous mandate and appreciate the work that has already gone on. I specifically thank the co-design team; I know that some of those involved have joined us this afternoon to listen to the debate. I credit those who are involved in front-line services and the people who work with victims and survivors every day. They play a massive role in society. Gender-based violence is endemic and pervades society. We know that it has to be a priority in this mandate. It has to be a priority for all parties, and we all must work together on that. We want to set this at the top of the agenda to ensure that it is a priority and that the framework is implemented in full. We will support the amendment, because it is totally in line with the spirit of our motion. We know that it has to be funded to be implemented fully, and we want to see that happening. The reason for moving the motion today is to start the conversation about this and to bring it in to the public discourse. Gender-based violence has happened for centuries in Ireland and has been facilitated by silence: people knowing deep down that something was wrong but not having the courage to call it out. That is how it has been allowed to manifest itself in the way in which it has. We have to break the silence and call it out. We have to start the conversation. Hopefully, the debate today will serve that end. We know that misogyny is the root cause of gender-based violence. Misogyny, in its simplest terms, is the belief that women are lesser. Just like any discriminatory mindset, it manifests itself, breeds and festers in a vacuum, in a situation in which there is no conversation, no information being shared and no myth-busting, where people are allowed to spread disinformation, fear and hatred. That is how misogyny has taken shape. An awful lot of the time, we do not even recognise it. Those thoughts are so internalised that we do not sometimes call it out. We know about it and have seen it all too often, even in recent years. There were 42 women murdered between January 2013 and June 2023. We see an extreme act of violence against a woman, in that a woman is murdered, and then there is an outpouring of grief. We all stand at vigils, and everybody is so sorry that it happened. However, further back in the chain, when the beliefs were first being issued, we did not challenge them. That is what we have to do and what the strategy has to do. It has to address it at the root. I am pleased to see that the framework sets it out clearly that this is about addressing cultural norms and challenging the structural inequalities that lead, ultimately, to someone losing a mother, a daughter, a sister or a friend as a result of gender-based violence. Misogyny is the cause of so many problems across society. It is the reason why women who present to their GP with what is clearly the menopause are told that they are just a bit stressed and are prescribed antidepressants. It is the reason why it takes about eight years to get a diagnosis of endometriosis or PCOS. It is the reason why, if a female politician wears a dress, it is the subject of news articles, yet a male politician will never face the same criticism for a suit that he wears. It is the reason why our dresses do not have pockets. That is the reality, and it is the reason why women are being murdered. We have to get to the root of that to stop it happening. Over the weekend, in preparation for today's debate, I re-familiarised myself with some of the statistics. Some of the facts and figures that have been gathered on the issue are totally depressing and shocking. One of the statistics that really shocked me was in the 2022 life and times survey, which showed that 75% of the 16-year-olds surveyed had experienced street harassment. I read that and said, "Oh my God, three quarters of our teenage girls have already been harassed on the street". Then I said to myself, "Why am I shocked at that? I was a 16-year-old girl. I have friends, a sister, a mother. We have all experienced that, and we all know what it feels like". The overwhelming emotions that you have are shame and embarrassment, so you do not call it out. It has become completely normalised to the point where, an awful lot of the time, those remarks are made or you are harassed and, 10 minutes later, you are back to getting a cup of coffee or talking to a friend, and it does not even have an impact on you. However, over time, those things build up to the point where the situation gets so extreme that there is an act of violence, and that is when we all react. This is not about demonising anyone. The issue affects everyone across society. The victims are men and women. We know about its impact on families, particularly in situations of domestic violence, where children suffer and that has an impact on their relationships later in life. We know that it is intergenerational: hurt people hurt people. We have seen that time and again. The studies all reflect that. We have to address it to stop it getting that far. I urge everyone to support the motion. I want to see us all working together to call out gender-based violence and to stop that phenomenon.

1,073 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:38 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification