Debate contribution: Power to Change Campaign
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 3 February 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Power to Change Campaign
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4774316
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I completely agree with my colleague, as no one will be surprised to hear. I have prioritised violence against women and girls and domestic and sexual abuse and violence throughout my time as Justice Minister. When I took the proposal to the Executive about wanting to have a strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, it was important that I said that it was not for the Justice Department to take that forward but that the matter should be taken forward by the Executive Office on behalf of the whole Executive. If we know anything about violence against women and girls, we know that it is about challenging not only actions but the microaggressions and attitudes that are the foundation on which those actions and violent attacks are built. Those insidious attitudes and behaviours underpin gender-based violence. It is important that we not only work with women and girls but listen carefully to the voices of young men and men in general about the contribution that they have the power to make in order to change society and ensure that women and girls are better protected. Many young men are being radicalised online by a form of extremism linked with misogyny or incel culture. Call it what you wish, but it is an incredibly dark place on the internet. It is really important that the PSNI, the Executive Office and my Department have come together with that programme, which hands the power back to people in real life to challenge the sorts of attitudes, behaviours and microaggressions that can make young women and girls feel unsafe.
267 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.05 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.84).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.50).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.14 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.05 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.05 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.05 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.84 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.05 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.50 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.49 |
| Adopts it | 0.01 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.70 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.30 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:53 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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