Violence against Women and Girls

Conference acknowledges with alarm that Northern Ireland is facing what has been described as an epidemic of violence against women and girls witnessing a rise in domestic violence and the highest levels of femicide in Europe. As of September 2024, there have been five women murdered this year and 23 women murdered in Northern Ireland since 2020. 

Recent research commissioned by Executive Office, ('It just happens: girls and young women's views of violence in Northern Ireland' & 'Every Voice Matters') suggests 98% of women in Northern Ireland have experienced at least one form of violence or abuse in their lifetime, with half (50%) experiencing this before they were 11 years old. The research makes make clear that preventing violence against girls and women requires broad and systemic change - to attitudes, cultures, policies, institutions and laws.

VAWG highlights the oppression of women buttressed & enabled by sexist and misogynist ideology. This ideology is fuelled by extreme material on the internet & by misogynist ‘influencers’. The recent and overdue launch of Stormont’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls is to be welcomed but we must be under no illusion regarding its limitations and the work that will need to be done to ensure its adequate implementation, not least in terms of proper resources.

Sexism and misogyny are still evident at the heart of this country.  Shockingly it is tolerated and even promoted in the workplace.  It manifests in the emotional, psychological and financial abuse that is harder to prove but is prevalent.

Women don't just want to feel safe; we want to be safe.  This means we need to raise our standards and expectations in the workplace to eliminate all forms of sexist behaviours, understand the impact, be up to date with new laws and require employers to provide training for all workers.

Changing this endemic culture will need the active input from all trade unions and civil society if we are to turn the tide on the misogyny sweeping our society.

With this in mind Conference resolves to:

• Work with affiliates to demand that employers deliver mandatory workshops and training in every workplace with a view to challenging and eradicating misogyny and sexist attitudes which result in and enable violence against women and girls. Such a programme should not be a one off but a renewed and regular engagement that drills home that there is no place for misogyny in the workplace.
• Affiliates should continue to campaign for robust policies to tackle sexual harassment and gender-based abuse within every place of employment.  This is not the same as domestic violence policies, it is a stand-alone issue and those making such a claim and disclosure should be offered the same protections as contained in workplace whistle blowing policies.  It is time that a zero-tolerance approach is taken and that those found guilty of such abuse should be dealt through charges of gross misconduct and removed from their positions.
• Conference also recognises that the £3 million allocated by Stormont is grossly insufficient and will not provide the critical mass or fundamental change required to provide a shift in attitudes. 
• Reinforce that every part of the criminal justice system should be the first to be retrained and reprogrammed.  It is past time for those in a position of power to take seriously their responsibility to exercise that power.  It’s past time to send a clear message to all those involved in violence against women and girls that they will face the full force of a legal system.  This system must protect all those women and girls who are attacked, abused or murdered.  It is now time for action. 
• Ensure there is monitoring of the prevalence and nature of domestic violence and sexual harassment, including racialised forms of sexual harassment to which Black women are subjected. 
• Demand a ‘Statutory Code of Practice’ (policy & procedures) for employers to prevent and respond to misogyny, sexual harassment and victimisation within the workplace including in the precarious job sector.
• Campaign against  the effective decriminalisation of rape and ensure access to justice for all sexual and domestic violence survivors
• Campaign to ensure that migrant women can access the support, welfare systems, a safe place and legal tools they need to escape abuse, and can report violence without fear of immigration enforcement
• Campaign for fully funded support services, staffed by women, for women fleeing violence and domestic abuse
• Campaign for measures to prevent violence against women and girls, including resources and support for schools to address harmful sexual behaviour
• Campaign to eradicate the cultural, economic and social norms that are the root causes of violence against women and girls.