Gender Based Violence

Ending violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) is one of the biggest challenges facing our society today.

It is an underlying cause of gender inequality and its violates women’s human rights. Furthermore, Violence against women and girls is a public health issue that affects women's physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health.

Here at WRDA, we are working as a force for change in order to tackle VAWG and its many facets through a variety of projects

VAWG and Homelessness Campaign: Shift the Shame

Violence against women is a complex problem, and this campaign highlights how violence is one cause of homelessness for women. Tackling this issue needs political commitment and to look at the specific needs of women who are homeless as a result of trauma and violence.

The Executive Office Ending Violence
Against Women and Girls Strategy

In October 2024, The Executive Office launched its first ever Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy following a long co-design and consultation process, of which WRDA was proud to have our Women’s Sector Lobbyist, Elaine Crory be a part of the co-design group.

As a recognition of our expertise in the area of prevention, WRDA is proud to be one of the 8 organisations selected to deliver on the Regional Change Fund under the strategy.

As part of this work, WRDA sits on the EVAWG steering committee. With the RCF investment in prevention of VAWG, WRDA is delivering our Raise Your Voice project in partnership with Reclaim the Agenda (Coordinator of Reclaim the Night Belfast rallies), Women’s Support Network (host of the Rape Crisis Service) and NI Rural Women’s Network. The project is currently staffed by four workers funded part-time at WRDA and RTA.

Tackling Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Our Tackling Sexual Harassment in the Workplace toolkit is a free resource. It helps employers create workplaces where women are safe to report incidents of sexual harassment and support employers to respond appropriately – creating environments where sexual harassment does not happen in the first place. 

Our Tackling Sexual Harassment in the Workplace project was made possible by the TIME'S UP UK Justice and Equality Fund, provided through Rosa. It is a culmination of work from Fawcett and partners, Chwarae Teg, the Women’s Resource and Development Agency, and Close the Gap.

Raise Your Voice

Raise Your Voice is a collective of 4 women’s sector organisations working together to collectively tackle sexual harassment and sexual violence across Northern Ireland, led by WRDA. Our goal is to create true cultural change to tackle the root causes of these behaviours and empower people to act to change this in their own lives. We know that community safety begins with ending sexual harassment.

We do this through a variety of ways:

  • raising awareness through social media campaigns,

  • responding to consultations relating to VAWG,

  • sitting on the Gillen Review team

  • campaigning government, civil service and the police

  • delivering workshops on themes of tackling victim-blaming, sexual harassment, digital and online, as well as understanding consent and how to intervene safely as active bystanders,

  • hosting the Anti Sexual Harassment Forum which brings together trade unions, youth organisations, women’s sector organisations and other organisations dedicated to ending sexual harassment and sexual violence,

To host a workshop or join the ASH Forum, get in touch with Sarah Stack, our RYV coordinator: sarah.stack@wrda.net.

We are pleased to receive support for our Raise Your Voice project from:

  • Belfast City Council’s Gender Action Plan

  • The Executive Office’s EVAWG Strategy

Women’s Policy Group NI

The Women’s Policy Group Northern Ireland is a platform for women working in policy and advocacy roles in different organisations to share their work and speak with a collective voice on key issues, led by the Women’s Sector Lobbyist at WRDA. It is made up of women from trade unions, grassroots women’s organisations, women’s networks, feminist campaigning organisations, LGBT+ organisations, support service providers, human rights and equality organisations and individuals.

As part of their remit, the Women’s Sector Lobbyist and WPG NI have undertaken research in relation to VAWG. After Violence was our most recent primary research.

This primary research has also shown that:

  • 87% of women in Northern Ireland have experienced VAWG

  • 65% of women in Northern Ireland have experienced domestic abuse

  • The 3 most common perpetrators of violence were (1) intimate partner (2) stranger (3) colleague or acquaintance

  • Only 22% of women feel comfortable reporting VAWG to the police

  • Only 9% of women think that courts in NI take VAWG seriously

  • 85% of women think there should be a specific mechanism for reporting VAWG to the police

  • 77% of women think convicted offenders of VAWG should take part in a rehabilitation program

Check out our research hub for more reports.

Representation

WRDA promotes and practices participation, inclusion and collaboration which builds solidarity as a means to effect social change in all the work we undertake. As part of this commitment, WRDA is represented by staff members on the following bodies particularly relevant to tackling VAWG:

  • TEO EVAWG Steering Committee

  • Gillen Review Implementation Team sub-group on Education and Awareness

  • All Party Group on Domestic and Sexual Violence

  • NI Assembly Gender Equality Strategy – Expert Advisory Panel and Co-Design Working Group

  • The Victim’s Commissioners’ Sexual Abuse Advisory Panel

Contact our EVAWG team

To get in touch with WRDA’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls team, contact: