Covid-19: Stormont 'ignored women's needs' in pandemic response

The Stormont executive has been accused of ignoring the needs of women in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Women's Policy Group Northern Ireland has called for ministers to do more to help women, such as providing affordable childcare and making sure women are treated equally in the workplace.

A survey of more than 150 women has been conducted by the group.

Women were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, said respondents.

At a online event the group unveiled its Feminist Recovery Plan and heard from a range of speakers.

'Uphill struggle'

The group's initial plan was put forward in July 2020 but organisers said it was important to relaunch the initiative this year as much work still had to be done.

Organiser Rachel Powell said, that in spite of its lobbying the group had only been able to meet one minister and its ideas had often been overlooked.

Paula Bradley said getting ministers to act could be an uphill struggle

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MLA Paula Bradley, who sits on the Northern Ireland Assembly's all-party group for women, said Stormont did recognise that women had been uniquely affected by the pandemic but she admitted that getting ministers to act was often an "uphill struggle".

She said responses from departments had often been deeply disappointing and some government offices "simply did not get it".

The event heard testimonies from women and examined issues such as childcare, pay inequality, mental health and domestic violence.

'We don't have space'

Noelle Collins from the charity Women's Aid said domestic violence had not stopped throughout the pandemic.

"We have three refuges in Belfast and Lisburn and have 106 bed spaces and they are full every night," she said.

"Every day we are refusing someone because we don't have space anymore."

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Ms Collins also said her organisation helped women who have been trafficked.

She said that within two years it had gone from supporting 12 women to 60 women.

She said: "It is a real problem in Northern Ireland, not just for women coming into this country but also local women."

Representatives of most of the Stormont parties took part in the meeting.

Other speakers included Madame Nicole Ameline of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Khara Jabola-Carolus of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, which produced the Feminist Recovery Plan for Hawaii, which inspired the Women's Policy Group Northern Ireland to publish its report.