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

Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on 26 February 2024.

MLA

Ms Michelle O'Neill

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

26 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Strategic Framework to End Violence against Women and Girls: Implementation

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4231092

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle; I thank you for your latitude in extending the debate, given the significance of the issue and the fact that so many Members wanted to contribute. I am really grateful for that, and I am really grateful for the collegial approach that everybody took and the tone that was set in terms of the seriousness of the issue and the fact that leadership on the issue starts with us in the Chamber. I really think that having the debate today underlines the significance and the priority that we put on tackling violence against women and girls. I commend that approach to the issue and to every other issue as we grasp many nettles in the time ahead. On day 1 of the new Assembly, I stressed clearly how vital it is for all of us to work collectively and to end the violence, abuse and harm suffered daily by women and girls in all our communities. Many Members referred to many examples. I have said it before and will say it again today: those women are not statistics. They are our mothers, our sisters, our aunts, our daughters, our friends and our work colleagues, and they are us. They are we who have been speaking in the debate today. Therefore, we must take action now to stop the violence, and we must never forget those who have been killed. There are too many names to mention, sadly. There are too many families that are grieving for their mothers, sisters and daughters. The murders did not occur in isolation; they are part of an epidemic. The sad reality is that we all know someone whose life has been impacted by her experience of domestic violence, abuse or harm. Women all have their own stories to tell and their own experience of behaviour that makes them feel uncomfortable or anxious every day. Challenging violence against women and girls is not a new problem, but dealing with it requires a whole-of-society approach, which everybody recognises. One of the very first actions of the Executive must be to introduce a new strategic framework and the associated action plan, and many Members referred to the need for action. That work is now being finalised, and I look forward to coming back to the Chamber to talk about it in more detail. People and organisations from across our communities have helped to shape the framework, and I had the pleasure of meeting some of those people briefly in the last number of weeks. They absolutely reflected their different backgrounds, their different perspectives and the needs of those who have experienced gender-based violence. In particular, we pay tribute to the support that has been provided by the community, voluntary and statutory sector organisations. They have been carrying out that vital work in the most difficult circumstances. As we know, many have been impacted by recent budget cuts. It remains a challenging situation, but we are committed to securing a fair and just financial settlement to deliver public services that allow Ministers to begin to deliver on the vision of the strategy, which is to end violence against women and girls. I look forward to continuing to engage with Executive colleagues on funding for the Women's Aid Federation and other delivery partners who work so hard in that area and do so daily. The extent and variety of the good work that is being done is clear, but so is the fact that obstacles remain to reporting abuse and getting the help that is so sorely needed. We need to end the silence around violence against women and girls. Together, we must all say collectively, "Enough is enough". Barriers persist in the justice system and society that prevent women and girls from accessing support. To overcome those challenges, the strategic framework is clear on the outcomes that must be achieved. Core to that is delivery of the domestic and sexual abuse strategy and a real commitment to enhance joined-up working across Departments and with our community partners. Our justice system must be one in which victims, survivors and the public can have confidence, knowing that offenders will be held to account. High-quality and accessible services must be available to every woman and girl who needs them. Much more than that, prevention is key. Many Members referred to the root causes. We have to get right down to the nub of it. For children and adults of every age, we need to work towards changed attitudes and behaviours. Everyone needs to understand what violence against women and girls is and help to prevent it. Women and girls have to feel safe and be safe everywhere, in all places where they live, work, learn and socialise. We will end violence against women and girls only if men and boys are part of the solution. Everyone should be equipped and empowered to enjoy healthy, respectful relationships. Delivery will require commitment from every corner of the Executive and, indeed, every corner of our society. We want women and girls throughout our community to know that we have their backs and are looking out for them. There has to be that effort from the whole of society. Partnership working is key. That means partnering with education, sport and workplaces, service providers, young people and communities. We will work to develop campaigns to influence and change attitudes and behaviours for the whole of society. Just as important, we will work to support partners to develop training packages to equip people to do the right thing. Partnering with employers, businesses and trade unions, we will ensure that there are good policies and tools to protect women and girls wherever they are. Partnering with our colleagues in other Departments, we intend to remove barriers to support that make life harder for women and girls rather than helping them. The framework is just the beginning. Now, our focus is on finalising the strategy and taking forward actions in a coordinated and joined-up manner, with the goal of making a real difference to people's lives as everyone understands what violence against women and girls is and plays an active role in preventing it in every sphere of life. We know that it is urgent and that we must take action. We will ask the Assembly for its support in the time ahead as we bring forward the action plan. I will finish by making a direct appeal to the public to be aware that every one of us in society can do something to protect women and girls. I ask everybody to play their part. Let us get to work. Let us not waste any more time. Let us make this happen. Let us break the silence. Let us work in partnership. Let us turn talk into action. Let us end violence against women and girls.

1,145 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not qualifying

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:43 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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