Member's statement: Enniskillen Mural
Member's statement by Mrs Deborah Erskine on .
- MLA
- Mrs Deborah Erskine
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 21 April 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Enniskillen Mural
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5497496
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Yesterday, an important event took place in Enniskillen to raise awareness of ending violence against women and girls. A mural was officially unveiled in the town centre as part of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council's Murals with Meaning project. The mural, created by Hannah Constance, depicts a phoenix, which symbolises resilience, survival and strength. The artist herself said:
"Like a phoenix, we women will always rise from the ashes."
We must ensure that women are not forced to rise from the ashes in the first place. That means raising awareness, breaking silence and bringing abuse out of the shadows into the light so that every woman knows that she can speak out and get the help that she needs. Kerrie Flood, the CEO of Fermanagh and Omagh Women's Aid, has done tremendous work in the local area. She is a force of nature, and her leadership continues to make a real difference to the lives of women and their families. Speaking about the mural, she said:
"The phoenix rises not because of violence, but because it refuses to be erased or silenced."
Those words should stay with us. Domestic abuse thrives in silence but is stopped by action, and we must call out domestic abuse at every opportunity. We have a duty not only to educate but to act. We have a strategy, and I am pleased that the second action plan on ending violence against women and girls is being launched as we speak. Plans alone will not save lives, but implementation will. Since 2020, more than 30 women have been killed in Northern Ireland, and behind every name is a family and a future taken far too soon. In my constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, we have seen too many lose their life as a result of domestic abuse. It is not an issue for one Department, one agency or one group of people. Rather, it is a societal issue. It reaches into every community, every street and every home, and we have a responsibility to recognise the signs, speak up and act. The recent murder of Amy Doherty in Londonderry is just another stark reminder of the urgency to do so. I also note the work being done on Jade's law, which seeks to better protect families affected by such devastating crimes. I support that call. It is time that we saw meaningful progress made on Jade's law in Northern Ireland. I commend Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Enniskillen business improvement district and the Executive Office for their funding to deliver such a powerful and visible message through that mural.
Women should not have to live in fear in our communities: not today, not tomorrow, not ever. It is time to end violence against women and girls.
461 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: 0.04 (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 (0.78).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.98).
- Subject area: Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues.
- 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 | 0.06 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.04 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.78 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.98 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.02 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.68 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.32 |
| 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 15:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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