Since 2020 a total of 30 women have been violently killed in Northern Ireland so violence against women and girls is still a very serious challenge in our society. It is a problem that is hidden in plain sight and every day we see how it is affecting the lives of women and girls, wherever they learn, live, and work. Women’s Aid have emphasized just how dangerous Northern Ireland has become with highlighting these statistics;
• One in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.
• Police respond to one incident of domestic abuse every 16 minutes across Northern Ireland.
• For every incident we know the impact on women and children can be devastating.
• Over 30% of domestic abuse starts during pregnancy.
• In 90% of incidents children are in same or adjacent room when violence happens.
Another factor linked with domestic abuse is under-reporting because women who did not bear the scars of physical assault were often reluctant to go to the authorities. “If you walk through the door with a black eye or a broken bone everyone can see the harm and the impact immediately but how do you explain that another person has systematically over the period of weeks, months and years completely destroyed your mental health.” And for those women who are brave enough to make reports felt like they were being retraumatised by the entire court process, left feeling that it is them on trial not the perpetrator and that the onus is on them to prove they have been a victim. We need to make real improvements to what everyone agrees is a complex issue has been described as a “massive jigsaw” requiring societal change. Although there have been some advances here in N.I we need changes on both fronts, but further work is needed. Early intervention and Education are key factors in raising awareness and ensuring that everyone can spot the tell-tale signs of domestic abuse and potentially become part of the solution.
The Women’s Regional Consortium continue to provide evidence relating to violence against women and girls, advocating for trauma-informed, joined-up approaches and improved access to appropriate support services. Through our cross-border and regional work, we ensured that the additional barriers faced by women in rural and border areas were clearly articulated and considered.
We cannot have a ‘Behind closed doors’ mentality, because violence against women and girls is an issue that everyone needs to be talking about, including the judiciary system, the politicians, the media and the public.
By: Rayna Downey, Women’s Centre Derry
