Prof. O’Neill: Strategy for Ending Violence Against Women and Girls is strong but must be implemented

The Derry-based mental health champion for the North made the observation during a briefing of the Stormont Education Committee Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) Inquiry.

Prof. O’Neill said: “Looking at our strategy for tackling violence against women and girls, it is strong. It sets out a really important goal of changing attitudes, behaviours and social norms to tackle the root causes and it includes a forum to coordinate work on equipping and supporting families, children and young people to enjoy healthy, respectful relationships using the curriculum and that includes RSE so I'm asking the committee to look at whether that forum has been established.”

The Derry academic was referring to an action plan published in the summer of 2023 that was to form the ‘foundation of work to be delivered for year one of the Strategic Framework to EVAWG’.

One of the key preventative measures proposed in the action plan was the establishment of ‘a forum to coordinate work on equipping and supporting families, children and young people to enjoy healthy, respectful relationships using the curriculum (including RSE), policies and practices in early years, schools, youth and community sectors’.

Addressing the Stormont Education Committee Prof. O’Neill said: “I don't think there is evidence of it just yet but that's really, really important.

"So we need to know what's happening with that forum because this is the area where you have a low cost, universal intervention that fits with the strategy that does need to be implemented and it's recognised as part of that effort that we are all making to eliminate and reduce violence against women and girls.”

The Claudy-native told the committee that ‘children and young people have a right to this education and when we consider the importance of the education in preventing violence and abuse and promoting access to health care it is not acceptable that any young person is denied that right’.

"It is obviously vital that parents are fully involved in the design of RSE and they need to be made aware of what is discussed so that they can continue that work at home,” she declared.

O’Neill: Phones should not be banned from classrooms but they need to be regulated