More must be done to tackle violence against women and girls in the district - Councillors

DERRY City and Strabane District Council members say more must be done at a council level to tackle violence against women and girls

Members of January’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee were presented with an update report on a council-led action plan for Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, which highlighted a number of council-led activities such as a Town Hall public meeting hosted by Mayor Ruairi McHugh, awareness-raising events in the Ballyarnett DEA and ‘Real Talk’, a programme in the Foyleside DEA aimed at young men and discussing topics including consent and boundaries.

DUP Alderman, Chelsea Cooke, said that while officers had carried out “hard work” on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, she had met with partner organisations who had raised several “important points for consideration” with her.

“These include the need for longer-term funding arrangements such as three-to-five year funding cycles rather than a year-by-year allocation,” she said.

“As many of the organisations plan their programmes and employ staff without certainty over future funding, which creates ongoing challenges for them.

“They have also highlighted the importance of placing greater emphasis on prevention and challenging harmful behaviours, recognising that domestic abuse is only one aspect of the broader Ending Violence Against Women and Girls agenda.

“There is a strong desire for the organisations to continue working more closely as a coordinated network, to reduce duplication and maximise impact.”

Sinn Féin councillor, Fergal Leonard, said boys and men were “key” to ending violence against women and girls, and they should be “included as much as possible in the advice and education events that take place going forward”.

He said more should be done to allow women and girls to seek help and advice anonymously.

“For example through the delivery of YouTube videos giving details of women’s experiences and stories, and how seeking help has improved their situation,” he added.

“The idea being that girls and women can watch it at their own time, anonymously, and without going to a public event.”

SDLP councillor, Catherine McDaid, agreed that there must be “heavy investment” into education for boys and men, as well as the building of trust in the PSNI, while People Before Profit councillor, Shaun Harkin, criticised Stormont’s strategy for tackling violence.

He concluded: “It has basically been to give a relatively small amount of money out to community organisations, ask them to carry forward this strategy and then to promote the PSNI as an organisation that is serious about fighting misogyny, which I don’t believe that they actually are.

“The community organisations are welcome to have the funding, but it has added more pressure to an already overburdened sector, so there’s a lot more that needs to be done.

“I would like to have a report on Relationship and Sexuality Education, RSE, because in terms of taking the axe to the root that is important; getting into the schools, talking to young people from a very early age, to basically undermine and cut through a lot of the misconceptions that people are brought up with.”