Consultation - New Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy and Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy

The new Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy will adopt an inclusive approach and apply to all victims of domestic and sexual abuse regardless of a person’s gender or gender identity. We have already taken a number of important steps in this area but there is more to do and we want to draw on your knowledge, experience and views as we plan ahead to develop this new strategy, to raise awareness, support victims and address offending behaviour.

Some of the broader initiatives, including those designed to address societal attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that contribute towards violence against women and girls, will be led by the Executive Office under the Equally Safe Strategy. This strategy will reach more widely to include unwanted behaviours and other acts and threats of gender-based violence that result in, or may result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, whether occurring in public or in private life, in the physical world or online.

The Call for Views document contains specific sections in relation to both Strategies.

There are a number of ways that you can respond.  

There are two online surveys available for those aged 16 and above; one for the general public and one for those with lived experience of domestic and sexual abuse. 

For those aged under 16 we are asking our partner organisations to facilitate targeted focus group discussions using a children and young people’s version of the Call for Views document. An easy read version is also available. Both of these documents include a number of questions on which views are sought.

We would also welcome additional evidence and data specific to Northern Ireland, from practitioners, specialist organisations and academics, to inform the development of both strategies. This information can be submitted using our online written response form (included within the Call for Views paper).

Please respond to the Call for Views using the on-line facility on Citizen Space where possible.  If you require a hard copy of the Call for Views documents or have any other enquiries please email CallforViews@justice-ni.gov.uk or write to Community Safety Division, Room A4.03, Castle Buildings, Stormont Estate, Belfast, BT4 3SG.

Engagement Events

Online public engagement events and stakeholder focus groups will also be held.

The public engagement events will be held online on:

Wednesday 9 February      2pm – 4pm
Thursday 10 February        10am – 12 noon
Tuesday 22 February          2pm – 4pm
Wednesday 23 February    10am – 12 noon
Thursday 24 February        6pm – 8pm

You can book your ticket on the Eventbrite Website

Details of how to attend will be provided here in due course.

The Department will contact key stakeholders about the stakeholder focus groups or you can email us at CallforViews@justice-ni.gov.uk

Additional Resources

Call for Views - Public survey
Call for Views - Victim survey
Call for Views - Written response document

This Call for Views is open for 8 weeks and will close on Monday 7 March 2022 after which the results will then be analysed by the three Departments.