Four teenagers in Northern Ireland are spearheading a campaign for the creation of a dedicated Minister for Women's Safety and Health. Motivated by news reports of violence against women and girls, the young activists believe establishing such a role would streamline efforts to tackle these pressing issues.
Aoísha O'Neill, 18, one of the campaigners, stated that a dedicated minister would consolidate women's issues, enabling a more efficient approach. The group envisions this minister having a mandate similar to existing roles like the Minister for Women and Equalities in Westminster or the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women's Health in Wales. Pearse, another activist, emphasized that a minister's obligation to make legislation could be a crucial step in transforming how women's safety and healthcare are prioritized within the government.
The proposed minister would be a member of the Northern Ireland Executive, appointed by the First and Deputy First Ministers, and would operate within the Executive Office. Currently, responsibilities for tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), healthcare, and education are distributed across various Stormont departments, including justice, health, and education. The teenagers argue that this division makes it challenging to effectively address the scope and urgency of these matters.
Beyond a dedicated ministerial role, the group is also calling for improvements to infrastructure, a reduction in healthcare waiting lists, and an expansion of the school curriculum. O'Neill specifically highlighted the need for enhanced sex and relationship education in schools, asserting that young people require comprehensive information about their own bodies.
While efforts to combat VAWG are underway, including the Executive Office's launch of its Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy in 2024 and a 2022 action plan by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the teenagers feel a more focused governmental approach is necessary. A spokesperson for the Executive Office confirmed that promoting women's health and safety is a priority, underscored by the inclusion of the strategy, and stressed the need for a coordinated, Executive-wide approach. However, activists like Eimear believe that a dedicated minister with specific resources and attention could tackle these complex issues more effectively. Devyn pointed to the lengthy waits for gynecological appointments in Northern Ireland as an example of an unacceptable situation that a focused ministerial effort could address.