Member's statement: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence

Member's statement by Ms Diane Forsythe on 25 November 2025.

MLA

Ms Diane Forsythe

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

25 November 2025

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5258663

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I rise today, on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to share the sentiments of others on this the first day of the global 16 Days of Activism, as we join right across the globe to call for the end to violence against women and girls everywhere. Throughout the campaign, the challenge for all of us is to remind people of the devastating truths of the world in which we live and the tragic real-life stories of victims and survivors, and to take the opportunity, with whatever platform we have, to raise awareness. These are all not just numbers; they are real lives and real families, and often, until it hits close to home, many of us do not appreciate the impact on real communities.

I am chair of the Assembly all-party group on domestic and sexual violence, and we were proud to arrange an exhibition that features artwork created by survivors to support the 16 Days of Activism and is on display currently in the Long Gallery. The exhibition was coordinated by Women's Aid Northern Ireland, and it showcases the artwork of women, children and young people supported by Women's Aid Northern Ireland, reflecting their journeys as survivors and powerfully highlighting the ongoing reality of domestic abuse in Northern Ireland. It is really powerful. The aim of the artwork is to put the campaign here, in the heart of our Government Building, for the duration of that time to raise awareness and encourage all who take time to view it to be inspired to take action against gender-based violence. Today in the Long Gallery, the All-Ireland Mothers' Union also hosts its exhibition, 'The Souls of our Shoes'. I went this morning, and, again, it is extremely powerful to see the real shoes of real women laid out there, as donated by their families, for those who have suffered or died at the hands of their partners or ex-partners. Mr Speaker, I thank you also for recognising the importance of this day and hosting an event to further raise awareness. Ending violence against women and girls is emphasised as a key priority of the Executive, and, by working together, the framework is, thankfully, now in place. However, there is still a long way to go to seriously address the problems in our society. Too many women are being murdered. Today, we remember the victims of the violence. We think of the survivors and those who live with unreported abuse and work hard to cope, and we encourage them to come forward. As we enter the Christmas season, when tensions at home are often escalated for many, I remember my time working in Belfast and Lisburn Women's Aid and the 'Silent Night, Violent Night' campaigns. I think of all those people through this time and ask everyone to raise awareness, to look out for your neighbours and to stand together strong as women, alongside our male colleagues as a society, in calling for the end of gender-based violence.

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

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 01:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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