A powerful conference focusing on Female Genital Mutilation and Honour Based Abuse brought together experts and professionals from across Northern Ireland to raise awareness, share learning and strengthen the collective response to end violence against women and girls.
The event was hosted by the South Eastern Area Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Partnership, in collaboration with Ards and North Down Borough Council Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP), with funding from The Executive Office’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) Change Fund.
Keynote speakers included Paula Harkness, Senior Social Worker, from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Nyla Khan, CEO of Universal Truth, a forced marriage survivor and activist for inclusion and change, Detective Chief Inspector, Stephanie Finlay from the PSNI, Dr Maz Idriss, Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University and Michelle Martin, Director of Services at ASSIST NI.
The conference provided a vital opportunity for delegates to deepen their understanding of the complex issues surrounding Female Genital Mutilation and Honour Based Abuse, explore the experiences of survivors and consider best practice approaches to prevention and support.
Nyla Khan shared her powerful personal experience, saying, “I am a survivor with lived experience of forced marriage and abuse. It takes time as you grow older and reflect to truly understand what happened and to recognise that it was wrong. Through self-development, awareness and education, I have come to see the importance of sharing my story. I do it to help break down barriers and remind people that beyond our differences, we share far more in common than we think.”
“I am a survivor and I have first-hand, lived experience of forced marriage and abuse. It takes you a little while as you get older and you start to assess that was actually happening. It takes a lot of self-development, awareness and education to understand what I went through was so very wrong. The reason I share my story, is to help break down the barriers where people do not see themselves as other people any more. We are so focused on what makes us different and that we are actually similar.”
Chair of the South Eastern Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Partnership and South Eastern Trust’s Assistant Director of Safeguarding, Jason Caldwell commented, “It is really important that we profile all the issues around safeguarding and welfare for citizens within the South Eastern Trust area. This conference is not just about the citizens of the South Eastern Trust, it is about bringing together systemic change and challenging the system for those that suffer Female Genital Mutilation and Honour Based Abuse within Northern Ireland.
“We are privileged to have esteemed speakers at the conference to bring about that focus. We need cultural change and systemic action. We have the two strategies that were launched last year which are critical and it is vital that issues such as Honour Based Abuse and Female Genital Mutilation are addressed.”
Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Gillian McCollum, commended the partnership approach to raising awareness and supporting those affected by Female Genital Mutilation and Honour Based Abuse. Councillor McCollum added, “Conferences like this one do not just raise awareness, they build momentum. We need to empower communities, strengthen support systems and foster a culture of zero tolerance. Behind every statistic is a story. Behind every policy is a person. And behind every act of abuse is a choice, a choice we must reject, condemn and prevent. Whether through education, legislation, or frontline services, we must work together to dismantle the structures that enable abuse and rebuild ones that protect, uplift and heal.”
Detective Chief Inspector, Stephanie Finlay from the PSNI highlighted the importance of raising awareness, stating, “I think a conference like this is so important. We do not know the extent of Honour Based Abuse and Female Genital Mutilation in Northern Ireland. I think an event like this really highlights the issues that women face in ethnic minority backgrounds and will hopefully give partner agencies information on how they report and what support is available. This conference helps to get that information out there.”
Director of Services at ASSIST NI, Michelle Martin emphasised that Honour Based Abuse affects all communities, “It is important to note that Honour Based Abuse is not limited to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. It affects all of us and we have a responsibility in safeguarding all of our communities. That involves understanding the intricacies that honour and shame can underpin in these complex offences. Offences that occur in the Black and Asian communities are rarely recorded and reported, so we need to do more to tackle this issue in terms of awareness. This conference is a great step forward in raising awareness.”
The South Eastern Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Partnership works across agencies and communities to raise awareness and improve the coordinated response to domestic and sexual violence, supporting those affected and helping to prevent future harm.
