Violence Against Women

Congress notes with concern that Northern Ireland is now the only region of these islands without a strategy on tackling violence against women and girls. It notes further that over the last years Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of femicide (i.e. murders of women) in Western Europe and that incidences of domestic violence surged during the Covid lockdowns and are anticipated to rise sharply again as a result of the Cost of Living crisis. 

Consecutive Stormont Executives have failed to give this issue the attention it needs. There is chronic underfunding of the support services, agencies and voluntary groups at the frontline of helping victims and survivors of violence against women. In many areas the provision of emergency temporary housing units and refuges is completely inadequate but Stormont Ministers have not just failed to build the additional units needed by women and girls but in the last year have allowed a number to close. The absence of such facilities compounds the dangers facing those experiencing domestic violence or abuse by trapping them in an environment they need to leave.

Congress congratulates the workers at Regina Coeli House on their recent campaign against the closure of Northern Ireland’s only women-only accommodation offering on-site counselling and support for the vulnerable and homeless, many of whom have experienced violence or trafficking. The workers’ twelve week work-in and occupation solicited support from across the world and a commitment from the Communities Minister that a like-for-like facility would be provide by May of this year. Shamefully we note that this promise was broken and no such facility has been built. 

Stormont is failing to take seriously the issue of Violence Against Women.

Congress calls for the incoming Executive to launch a campaign demanding a Violence Against Women & Girls Strategy in Northern Ireland and for its proper resourcing, including of emergency accommodation, multi-annual budgets for critical support services and the mainstreaming of education on the impact of gender-based violence with the aim of putting a permanent end to this ongoing threat to women and girls.