Femicide Rates in Northern Ireland
Femicide rates in Northern Ireland surpass those in "quite a lot of the world," according to Jess Phillips, the UK government's minister responsible for tackling violence against women and girls. Speaking to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Phillips emphasized that despite these high rates, Stormont is not "lagging behind in any particular area" in addressing the issue.
During her update to MPs on Wednesday, Phillips characterized violence against women and girls as a "national emergency and an epidemic." She noted that femicide is broadly defined as the killing of a woman or girl because of her gender.
Phillips also highlighted the pervasive influence of the "manosphere," describing it as "everywhere" while discussing efforts to combat harmful attitudes and behaviors online. The manosphere comprises a network of websites, forums, and influencers promoting what they term "traditional" masculinity, where men dominate relationships and women are subservient.
"I would say really specifically in relation to Northern Ireland what the data shows us is that rates of femicide, so murder and domestic homicide, is higher there than not just other parts of the United Kingdom but quite a lot of the world."
Stormont's Executive Office, co-led by First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, launched its Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy in 2024. Phillips stated she observed no "less care or attention being given to this by the Northern Ireland Executive." She added:
"Northern Ireland is run by two women. I don't doubt their desire to spend money on violence against women and girls and their commitment to it having interacted with them both on this issue."
Phillips also praised Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, noting her early meeting with him and expressing being "really impressed" with some of the PSNI's initiatives targeting sexual offending online.
"I call a spade a spade - I find him a decent man who cares about the right things," she said.
While most of the government's strategy focuses on England and Wales, Phillips clarified that certain aspects, including immigration and online safety, apply across the UK.
Discussion in the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
During the committee session, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Gavin Robinson referenced a recent Netflix documentary by journalist Louis Theroux titled Inside the Manosphere. Robinson described the documentary's subjects disparagingly, saying:
"He was a balloon - they were all balloons."
Robinson also referred to one individual in the documentary as a "ticky-tocky type idiot."
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MP Robin Swann inquired about the impact of Northern Ireland's Troubles legacy on the treatment of women. Phillips acknowledged the significance of this issue, stating:
"It's a really important point, and it was one that while I was in Northern Ireland was raised with me on a number of occasions with regards certainly to the influence of paramilitarism still over women in Northern Ireland."
She described this as an additional factor to consider in relation to abuse, violence, and aggression.
"Although as Gavin has pointed out quite clearly, the manosphere is everywhere," she added.
