Children should be taught “healthy, respectful relationships” from an early age.
This is one of the key actions in a new Stormont Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG).
It also said young people should be involved in new relationship development and sex education (RSE) for schools.
Northern Ireland is currently the only part of the UK without a specific EVAWG strategy.
The Stormont Executive first recommended developing a strategy to protect women and girls in Northern Ireland from violence in 2021.
The Executive Office has now published a “strategic framework” and an initial action plan for consultation.
The goal of the framework is “a transformed society where women and girls are free from all forms of gender-based violence, abuse and harm”.
In her foreword, Northern Ireland’s chief civil service officer, Jayne Brady, said ending violence against women and girls is “one of the most difficult challenges facing our society today”.
“It’s also one of the most important,” she added.
The Action Plan defines violence against women and girls as “ranging from everyday misogynistic attitudes and harmful social norms to harmful unwanted behaviors and serious criminal offences”.
It said such acts were “committed predominantly, but not exclusively, by men”.
The action plan also states that many abuses and harms go unreported, so the reported cases are “just the tip of the iceberg”.
In the first year of the plan there are 22 recommended actions.
This includes a forum to decide how best to teach young people about healthy, respectful relationships in school – including in Relationship and Sex Education (RSE).
A number of recent reports have criticized aspects of the RSE approach in Northern Ireland.
A previous consultation on the EVAWG strategy also said that changes to RSE should be part of it.
The action plan includes initial work on measures to combat violence against women and girls in higher education, in the workplace and in the hospitality sector.
It was noted that an analysis of frontline delivery should be conducted to improve services to victims.
This also includes strengthening victims’ trust in the justice system.
Former High Court judge Sir John Gillen had previously recommended far-reaching changes to the way sex crimes are dealt with in Northern Ireland.
Sir John said the justice system “needed to change a lot”.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland recently published its first action plan aimed at reducing violence against women and girls.
The overall goal of the strategic framework is prevention, “tackling the root causes and stopping violence before it starts”.
This includes “a societal focus on changing attitudes, behavior and social norms”.
Recent research cited in the frame suggests that 75% of girls by the age of 16 “have experienced street harassment at least once in their lives”.
Separate research suggests that four out of five women “first experienced male violence before the age of 20.”
The framework also said that from January 2013 to June 2023, 42 women were murdered in Northern Ireland – one every three months.
Actions proposed in the Strategic Framework include teaching children healthy relationships from an early age and developing ‘accessible’ RSEs in partnership with young people.
“Our young people are confronted online with messages that undervalue, demean and degrade women and girls, as well as increased access to pornography from an early age,” the framework document reads.
“In addition, there has recently been a surge in online influencers who are having a detrimental impact on men and boys in our society, negatively affecting their views of women and girls.”
Youth, faith and sports organizations should also involve men in combating violence against women, the document says.
The framework said some victims found their experience of the justice system “traumatic,” including “testifying in adversarial trials and traditional cross-examination.”
It said many victims also chose not to contact the criminal justice system.
A number of other prevention strategies are suggested, including identifying ‘champions’ and influencers to bring about a change in attitudes across society.
The Framework and Action Plan were developed with a number of organizations in Northern Ireland including Women’s Aid, the Women’s Resource and Development Agency, Nexus NI and Relate NI.
The consultation on the framework and action plan runs until October 3rd.
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