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

Debate contribution by Ms Cheryl Brownlee on 26 February 2024.

MLA

Ms Cheryl Brownlee

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

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 4230654

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I support the motion and the amendment. I am pleased to see that we have got straight down to business since the return of the institutions and that we are dealing with the real issues that affect people across Northern Ireland every day. Violence against women and girls is a society-wide problem and requires a collaborative, whole-of-society approach. From the outset, it is important to acknowledge that a lot of excellent work is already being done by a variety of groups and organisations. It is vital that that work is supported, funded properly and progressed and that we recognise that those people are literally lifesavers. Anything that comes from the Executive should serve to further enhance and complement the existing work by looking at where there is need, establishing what work is already being done and looking at how that can be better signposted and communicated to create a joined-up approach to ending violence against women and girls across society. Co-design has been an integral part of developing the draft strategic framework, bringing together expertise and experiences from across government, sectoral organisations, the community and voluntary sector and those with lived experience. The framework contains a strong focus on the prevention of violence against women and girls by challenging misogyny and sexist attitudes. Of course, we must not forget that men and boys will also suffer violence, and by no means do we want to forget them. However, the framework is to address the fact that victims of gender-based violence are disproportionately female. Men and boys also have an important role to play in challenging the current culture. I stated earlier that violence against women and girls is a society-wide problem. It is also important to remember that abuse does not necessarily have to be physical for it to have a damaging impact. Verbal abuse, coercion, degrading remarks, humiliation, threats, financial control: none of those will necessarily leave any physical marks, but the emotional scars that they leave can be just as devastating. For example, almost two in three women who were surveyed across the United Kingdom said that they had experienced harassment at work; 67% of female students surveyed said that they had had at least one unwanted sexual experience during their time in higher education; and 71% of women of all ages have experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public space. I was particularly alarmed to see that one in two girls aged just 16 have received an unwanted intimate picture or video in their lifetime. A number of Ministers have a very important role to play in the process. I very much welcome the commitment from the Minister for Communities at Question Time last week to explore how we can better support those suffering from domestic abuse when they seek to be rehomed in social housing. Supporting people at that time is an absolute priority. There is a serious lack of confidence in our justice system in Northern Ireland when it comes to cases involving domestic and sexual abuse. While that is unfortunate, in many ways it is understandable, due to unacceptably long wait times, a serious lack of prosecutions and convictions and an overall worry about not even being believed. While finances pale into insignificance when discussing such a serious topic, it is important to note that it is estimated that domestic and sexual abuse costs Northern Ireland up to £1 billion per year. I have a young daughter, and I worry when I hear some of the statistics and stories that have been mentioned in the debate. I am sure that that will resonate with all parents here today and those watching from home, but it should not be the norm. I want our daughters to grow up in a world where they do not need to worry about walking home at night by themselves or experience any unwanted comments or actions simply because they are female. I want them and all other girls to be able to be themselves, do their own thing and enjoy happy, prosperous lives.

I absolutely join in the calls for the Executive to implement this much-needed framework, and I will finish with the same sentiment as that with which I finished my maiden speech on the childcare debate last week: we must do more.

717 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not qualifying

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.

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