Northern Irish department officially declares that telling jokes is an act of violence - public invited to share their views

The assertion appears in a document titled 'Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls'.

Accompanying paperwork also indicates that looking at someone can constitute an act of violence too.

The 'strategic framework' went out to public consultation last week, with people able to voice their views on it until October 3.

It begins by stating: “Our vision [is] a changed society where women and girls are free from all forms of gender-based violence, abuse, and harm, including the attitudes, systems and structural inequalities that cause them.”

It has a section titled “What is Violence against women and girls?” which states that “violence against women and girls includes” the following:

“Emotional violence”;

“Sexual jokes or comments” in the workplace, plus “unwanted sexual advances”, and “verbal... conduct of a sexual nature”;

“Everyday misogyny, sexist jokes and language, and discrimination”;

“Taking loans or credit cards in their name, or using their money without their permission”;

And “sexual behaviours expressed by children and young people that are developmentally inappropriate [and] may be harmful towards self”.

The framework says “sexual harassment” is violence, and an attached equality impact assessment says the three most common types of harassment are “sexual jokes, staring or looks, and sexual comments”.

The framework states that it wants to “change attitudes, behaviours and social norms,” and has a long list of recommendations for how public bodies should go about doing this.

These include setting up forums to consult with businesses and unions, and setting up a “knowledge and network hub” to “develop workplace policy toolkits / guidance and to promote workplace training”.

All this comes amid a squeeze on public finances, particularly in the areas of health and justice, which is worsening the existing crisis in the NHS and further hampering the PSNI's ability to solve crimes.

The framework was “co-designed” by almost 50 organisations.

These include the Department of Health, Public Health Agency, PSNI, transgender lobby group The Rainbow Project, Queen's University Belfast Students' Union, feminist activist groups like Women's Aid and White Ribbon, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Anglican Diocese of Down and Connor, and – for reasons that aren't explained – US insurance company Allstate.

• ‘CIVIL SERVANTS HAVE A DEGREE OF AUTONOMY ON THIS...’ •

The News Letter asked the Executive Office the following three questions about this framework:

Q: Why is the department altering the meaning of the word 'violence' to include non-violent acts?

A: "Lived experience in NI shows that violence against women and girls doesn’t involve only physical violence but also issues like psychological, emotional and financial abuse, as our law now recognises.

“Our work is based on definitions of gender-based violence which are used by the UN.

“To tackle all these forms of violence, the Strategic Framework identifies a need to work on changing the root causes, including the behaviours and attitudes that create a culture where violence against women and girls is seen as normal and can flourish.”

Q: On what authority are you able to draft this strategy and put it out to consultation in the absence of ministers?

A: "In 2021, the Northern Ireland Executive directed that a Strategy to End Violence Against Women and Girls be developed, and the Executive Office is leading on this whole of government, whole of society approach.

“The Executive Formation Act provides senior officers in departments with a degree of authority to take decisions that would otherwise have been taken by a minister if it is in the public interest to do so and within guidance set by the Secretary of State.”

Q: Can this strategy be officially adopted in the absence of ministers?

A: “Proposals for the Strategic Framework and Foundational Action Plan are subject to the views of the Executive who will be responsible for final approval.”

You can respond to the consultation here: www.communities-ni.gov.uk/consultations

• MEN FAR MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER MOST SERIOUS VIOLENCE •

As the News Letter has previously reported, males are far more likely than females to be killed or suffer injury at the hands of others.

A recent PSNI report noted that "between 2017 and 2021, 34 women and girls across Northern Ireland were killed by men".

What it did not say was that the rate at which men are killed far outstrips women.

From 2007/08 to 2021/22 there were 358 homicides recorded by the PSNI (of which 293 were murders, with the rest being manslaughters).

Breaking that down by gender shows 273 of those 358 homicide victims were male (76%), while females accounted for 85 (24%).

Looking purely at homicides with a "domestic abuse motivation" over that same period, the PSNI stats show that while 60 were committed against females, 41 were against males.

Delving deeper still, when it comes to serious assaults (that is, ones where an injury has been caused), males are again more likely than females to be victims.

From 2007 to 2019 there were 91,833 recorded cases of “violence without injury, including harassment” involving female victims (51%) while there were 86,700 involving male victims (49%).

But when it comes to “violence with injury” there were 62,960 cases involving female victims (38%), and 104,651 involving male victims (62%).

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