AQW 44881/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 27/04/2026
Answered On Date: 11/05/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail the evidence gaps identified by their Department as referenced in action 13 of the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Delivery Plan 2026-2028.

Answer:

The co-design process of the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Framework identified various gaps in the evidence base, including for those women and girls facing additional risk of violence and barriers to accessing services, and the attitudes of men and boys here relating to violence against women and girls.

Under the first Delivery Plan (2024-2026), we started to address these evidence gaps through commissioned research on masculinities and attitudes of men and boys and through the Community Led Review on Rural Women and Girls.

As part of the second Delivery Plan (2026-2028), we are currently working with delivery partners, academic partners and other Departments to identify further gaps in the evidence base. This will help to inform research priorities and ensure that policy and investment decisions are underpinned by the best available evidence.