NI Executive unveils £3m strategy to combat violence against women and girls
The Executive has unveiled a dedicated Strategic Framework to tackle the issue of Violence Against Women and Girls.
The strategy also includes the first Delivery Plan, marking a £3 million investment aimed at grassroots voluntary and community initiatives.
The strategy framework was co-designed with those who have experienced violence against women and girls alongside those working in the sector.
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Speaking after the launch, First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: "Violence against women and girls must stop. That has been highlighted even more so in recent weeks with the deaths of four more women in horrific circumstances. To their families, I extend our deepest condolences and reiterate our commitment to working together to ending this violence, harm and abuse.
"Today we bring forward a Strategic Framework and first Delivery Plan. This framework intends to bring together a whole of society and whole of government response to address this issue which impacts the lives of far too many women and girls across our society.
"It was written based on the voices and views of those with lived experience and the expertise of those with many years of experience in this area. Their knowledge and experience has been crucial in helping us develop this strategy and we want to thank them for their commitment and support.
“The Delivery Plan will support those organisations working to prevent and challenge the attitudes, behaviours and culture that can lead to violence against women and girls. It will deliver real change for those who suffer harm and abuse across our society every day.
“There is something everyone can do and we must all work together to take this strategy forward and bring about the changes needed to ensure that we create a better society where women and girls can feel safe and be safe everywhere.”
The framework has a focus on tackling the root causes of violence against women and girls which include damaging attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours which are discriminatory towards women and girls, and which create a culture that enables violence, harm, and abuse to develop and be sustained.
It includes six outcomes including ensuring that women and girls are safe and feel safe everywhere and that we have a justice system which has the confidence of victims, survivors and the public in its ability to address violence against women and girls
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly described violence against women and girls as "a cancer on society" and said that it must end.
"We need to act now. When we took up office we said ending violence against women and girls was a priority and today’s launch reflects our commitment to tackling this important issue," she said.
“The main focus of this strategy is on prevention. We recognise that tackling the underlying causes of violence, abuse and harm towards women and girls and stopping it before it starts is vital.
“We also want to support delivery of high-quality services that address the needs of women and girls who are victims and survivors and help prevent further violence from taking place.
“The strategy and delivery plan build on the good work already being done and sets out a coordinated approach to tackle what is an extremely complex problem. It is vital we all continue to work together to build the transformative change we need so that women and girls can live free from violence. That work starts today.”
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