Debate contribution: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

Debate contribution by Mrs Sinéad Ennis on 14 January 2025.

MLA: Mrs Sinéad Ennis
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 14 January 2025
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Opposition Business
Heading: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 4736251

Text

I thank the Members who tabled the motion for the opportunity to discuss this important topic. Violence against women and girls casts a long shadow over our society. It is a subject that we cannot afford to ignore, particularly here in the North where statistics are alarming and heartbreaking. As has been outlined, five more women and girls were murdered between October and December 2024. Violence against women is not just a private tragedy; it is a public crisis. Every act of abuse, whether it be physical, emotional or sexual, ripples through our families, our communities and our collective consciousness. In the North, police reports reveal the stark reality that incidents of domestic abuse are at a record level. That is not just a statistic; these are real lives: women waking up each day in fear; children growing up in households in which safety is a fragile dream; and communities struggling under the weight of silence and stigma. The impact is profound. Economically, the cost of gender-based violence drains resources from our health service, our justice system and our social care system; socially, it erodes trust and perpetuates inequality, reinforcing cycles of abuse that we are morally obliged to break; and emotionally, it leaves scars that linger for generations. We must speak of hope, however, and we must give hope, because change is possible. Across the North, organisations, advocates and survivors are raising their voices to challenge outdated attitudes and demand better protections. We need to support them, not just with words but with actions. Like my colleague, I commend those who, inside and outside the Chamber, recently and previously, raised their voices and spoke about their experiences. I say to those who may not be able to speak about their experiences at this time that they will be believed and supported. That is why I am proud that Sinn Féin and the Executive have made ending violence against women and girls a priority. Michelle O'Neill recently outlined the Executive's delivery plan for that, which will be accompanied, in the first instance, by a £3 million fund for change. Eradicating the scourge of violence against women and girls means having better education and robust legislation and ensuring that resources for prevention and support are prioritised. Above all, we need to confront the cultural underpinnings of such violence: the normalisation of misogyny, the silence that enables abuse and the lack of accountability for perpetrators. Let us never forget that every woman has the right to live free from fear. Every one of us has a role to play in making that a reality. Together, we can create a new society and a new Ireland in which violence against women is not just addressed but eradicated. I want my family, my sister, my friends, my colleagues and my daughters to live in a place where every woman feels valued, protected and empowered. I want that for myself as well. That is our right — it is the right of every woman — and we need to make sure that it is the reality for every woman.

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

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