Address by Minister Helen McEntee to Shared Island Dialogue on Tackling Gender-Based Violence and Abuse

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Thank you, Katie.

I am delighted to welcome you all to my home county of Meath, and to this the 13th Shared Island Dialogue.

This represents the first time that government and civil society, North and South, have gathered to look at how - together - we meet the urgent societal challenge of ending gender-based violence and abuse.

I believe it makes sense to harness the experience, capacity, solidarity and momentum there is right across the island, to strive for this social change that is of utmost importance.

While challenging – as working on this topic almost always is – the high level of ambition here today is hugely encouraging for future collaborative work in this area.

I am so pleased that my colleague and leader of the Alliance Party in Northern Ireland, Naomi Long MLA, is joining with me to participate in today’s event.

As Minister of Justice in the Executive for almost three years, Naomi has given a political lead on the Executive’s Strategy to End Violence against Women and Girls, and on a series of other important legislative and policy changes in this area.

I have worked closely with Naomi on cross-border co-operation on criminal justice and other matters in recent years.

As part of that broad agenda we have together put a new focus on cooperation to challenge and change public attitudes on consent and on rape myths. And this connects to wider victim-centred reform processes we have led, in each jurisdiction.

Naomi is also a strong political voice for equality in all its dimensions, and a fearless champion for respect and empowerment of women in public life. So, I’m very much looking forward to her contribution to today’s discussion.

I also warmly welcome the participation - both here in Eureka House and online - of so many other champions for equality; and of fearless challengers of the mindsets and actions that cause gender-based violence and abuse in our society.

The importance of your work on the front lines in providing services and representing and advocating for victims and survivors cannot be understated.

Your lived experience and insight is vital in addressing the challenges we face.

You are defenders and supporters of victims and survivors when they need it most. And central to making the societal change we can and must achieve.

On the subject of change makers, I want to acknowledge the sad passing two weeks ago of Baroness May Blood, who was an unfailing voice for women, for equality, for integrated education, and for respect for all in Northern Ireland.

She not only made the case for change: but also, through brave and tireless efforts as a founding member of the Women’s Coalition and working in and across communities for decades, did so much to bring that positive change into being.

May Blood was and will remain an inspiration for many across this island and in Britain.

It is appropriate that today’s conversation is taking place as part of the Irish Government’s Shared Island Initiative.

This is our whole of government commitment to work in inclusive, practical ways with all communities and political traditions on this island, on issues that concern and connect us all, today and for the future.

Our approach is to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement. Through North/South and East/West cooperation, to deliver tangible benefits for people, and to deepen connections and understanding across communities on this island.

Through the Shared Island Dialogue series, we have heard from more than 2,200 citizens and civic representatives on how in real, practical, terms we can do that.

Working with a new Executive in Northern Ireland that is urgently needed; with the UK Government; and with Local Authorities and civil society across the island.

And, for today’s Dialogue we should recall that through the Good Friday Agreement all parties affirmed the right to equal opportunity regardless of class, creed, disability, gender or ethnicity; and, the right of women to full and equal political participation.

So, ending gender-based violence and abuse falls squarely within the vision and commitment of the Agreement, and should be part of how collectively we deepen cross-border cooperation and civic connections in the time ahead.

While the detail of policy and approach in each jurisdiction may differ, the goal is the same.

And the commonality of circumstances means that we stand only to learn from and leverage the experience and evidence we have, both North and South.

There is already important cross-border cooperation which gives a strong base to build on. Both between departments and agencies, and by service providers and civil society organisations.

And I want to acknowledge the recent work of the All-Island Women’s Forum, convened by the National Women’s Council of Ireland.

The Forum, in their first term report in September, highlight the need and opportunity there is to give more priority in the all-island agenda to ending of violence against women, both in government and in civil society.

I and my government colleagues fully agree. So this Dialogue is about hearing from you - who best know the needs and opportunities - on how best we do that.

Under the Shared Island initiative, I want to strengthen these connections to promote an effective and cohesive response to ending all forms of gender based violence and abuse on this island.

Last month, I welcomed justice ministers from across Europe to Dublin for a conference to progress what I see as our responsibility to end domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Ireland, as you are aware, assumed the Presidency of the Council of Europe in May, and we have made a conscious decision to prioritise this issue.

And so it is no coincidence that the sole Ministerial meeting of our Presidency was that two-day conference in the RDS on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Like today, collaboration was to the forefront of the Council of Europe conference.

That collaboration resulted in the adoption of Dublin Declaration on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, with 38 countries of the 46 in attendance supporting it.

The fight against domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is one we all need to engage fully with.

We must use the experience and insights from our friends and colleagues across the Island in relation to interventions on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

There is always much to learn from each other.

Our job now – and by ‘our’, I mean all of society North and South – is to continue to work for change.

Earlier this year, I launched Zero Tolerance, our Third National Strategy to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

It is an ambitious five-year programme of reform, a whole-of-society plan of action.

It was developed in partnership with the sector to ensure it is targeted, comprehensive and effective in achieving all of the goals set out and is built on the four pillars of the Istanbul convention – prevention, protection, prosecution and policy co-ordination.

What does Zero Tolerance mean?

It means ensuring that strategies aimed at preventing and combating violence against women also address the specific role of men and boys in preventing violence against women.

It means greater education and awareness to change attitudes and teach respect.

It means teaching our children equality, respect and healthy sexuality from a young age, and at all levels of education.

Zero tolerance means recognising the importance of long-term and systemic approaches to awareness-raising campaigns on the various forms of violence against women, including those perpetrated in the digital sphere.

Zero tolerance means supporting victims with compassion when they take the brave step and come forward to seek our help.

It means effective training for all relevant professionals who come into contact with victims, which has been recognised widely as an essential element of supporting victims of domestic and sexual violence and in ensuring access to justice.

The Strategy sets out Government’s objective that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one. It will deliver 24 new refuge spaces by 2024 and the overall number of spaces will double over the lifetime of the Strategy.

The Strategy provides for the establishment of a statutory DSGBV agency which will drive this work and bring the expertise and focus needed.

In fact, the implementation plan that was published alongside the new Strategy contains 144 detailed actions for implementation this year and next.

A small sample of what will be delivered across government includes:

• updating secondary school curricula at junior and senior cycle to include consent, domestic violence, coercive control and safe use of the internet
• working to remove the legal barriers that prevent individuals experiencing sexual or domestic violence remaining at home where it is safe to do so
• the introduction of statutory domestic violence leave this year
• beginning an engagement with the judiciary to consider the creation of specialised judges for DSGBV cases
• and enacting the Family Court Bill to make a more user friendly family court system

We know the importance of criminal justice, of strong legislation, of reporting, of supports for victims and of a co-ordinated approach in our work with victims.

And so, for example, in the coming weeks, we are introducing new laws around stalking and non-fatal strangulation.

We are also increasing the maximum sentence for assault causing harm, one of the most common criminal offences associated with domestic violence, from five to 10 years.

While vital in the policy mix, we know that criminal justice approaches alone cannot resolve the intractable problems of gender-based violence and abuse.

We need whole-of-society involvement, commitment and change.

So, our first panel discussion will look at how North-South interaction and cooperation can contribute to the tasks of prevention and changing societal attitudes.

We know, too, from the experience of victims and survivors who have been through it, that criminal justice processes and support services could be more connected and more centred on their legitimate needs and expectations.

There is a lot that we can share and learn from experience and reform processes, both North and South, and that is the important focus for our second panel discussion.

I believe the fundamental weapon we have in the fight against domestic, sexual and gender based violence is, and will always be, prevention.

It is that huge piece of work around change in attitudes and social norms as to what is acceptable.

We will look to the successes of previous awareness-raising campaigns as we develop new initiatives around prevention, consent, intimate image abuse and public awareness of victim’s rights.

Of course, in all of this work we are building on the solid foundations of significant effort that has gone before.

I, my department and the Department of the Taoiseach will be listening carefully to today’s Dialogue.

We are honoured to have representatives from across both sides of the border on both panels from the government and NGO sector to enlighten us on innovative efforts.

And the perspectives and suggestions made will inform how the government seeks to develop our approach and cooperation with a new Executive, with the UK Government and with civil society partners.

Our guest speaker, writer, Louise O’Neill, has represented so powerfully the harassed and often harrowing lived experience of women and girls; and the ingrained, insidious culture that produces and permits such appalling treatment and violence.

Louise’s unflinching second novel ‘Asking for It’, tells a story that is sadly and unacceptably known in every town, North and South on this island, and beyond.

A reality that everyone needs to recognise and respond to.

Louise has also articulated the agency and power we have - collectively, as women and men together - to alter attitudes, change behaviour and stop gender-based attacks and abuse.

I have no doubt that Louise will, once again, make a compelling contribution today.

As a final thought for today’s discussions, I think it is worth remembering how pivotal the principle of respect is in the Good Friday Agreement, which was so resoundingly endorsed by the people, North and South, almost 25 years ago.

Mutual respect is agreed by all parties as the basis of the accommodated political relationships.

Importantly also, respect is affirmed as a right “of everyone in the community”.

Respect for our intrinsic equality and diversity as individuals.

And for everyone’s right to integrity; safety; and dignity - no matter your gender identity, community, sexuality, race, religion, ability or age.

Ending gender-based violence and abuse is fundamental to protecting and vindicating that vision and commitment to respect for all of the people of this island.

It can unite us all in common purpose.

To make our homes, streets, towns and our media safer, and our lives so much better.

And to help make this island, North and South, a truly shared space for all.

Thank you.