The Women’s Policy Group NI stands firmly with the migrant communities of Northern Ireland and in particular the Muslim community, which has come under sustained attack in the last week. It is important that, as we identify the motives for what took place and continues across all the UK, we do not shy away from naming Islamophobia as a motive for much of the violence. It is also important that we recognise that the drivers for the violence have little to do with migrant communities, and all to do with driving division and inequality, seeking to maintain the power and privilege status quo.
We also stand firmly against those who seek to co-opt the fight we are engaged in with regards to Violence Against Women and Girls for their own nefarious purposes. We know from experience that VAWG is a persistent structural problem, and we seek to address it in every aspect of our work. We recognise the horrific, misogynistic targeting of a group of girls attending a dance event in Southport last week, which has seen three girls murdered and several more in a serious condition in hospital. We reject the racist violence carried out under the guise of the “defence” of women and girls. We are concerned, more broadly, that severe misogynistic violence is not taken as seriously as threats to the State, and we will raise this with Ministers in the new government in due course.
Misogyny and Violence Against Women and Girls is a cross-community issue and always has been. The solution to these problems will never be found in xenophobia, violence and in hate. It will be found in properly implementing and funding the EVAWG Strategy, the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy and the various Social Inclusion strategies including the Gender Equality Strategy, LGBTQIA+ Strategy, the Anti-Poverty Strategy, and the Disability Strategy as well as outstanding strategies on Racial Equality and Refugee Integration, and in working together as a society to tackle the deep-rooted prejudices that allows these things to operate in plain sight.
Signatories:
Women’s Policy Group NI
Women’s Resource & Development Agency
Women’s Support Network
Women’s Regional Consortium
Women’s Platform
NIRWN
Northern Ireland Women’s Budget Group
Foyle Women’s Information Network
Raise Your Voice
Alliance for Choice
Reclaim the Agenda
Committee on the Administration of Justice
