To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister for their assessment of the effectiveness of the current Gender Equality Strategy in addressing gender related violence.

The Gender Equality Strategy 2006-2016, for which OFMDFM has overarching responsibility, sets out a framework for departments, their agencies and other relevant statutory authorities to promote gender equality. The GES includes a number of key strategic objectives, including the elimination of gender based violence in our society.

A review of the Gender Equality Strategy and its associated cross departmental Action Plans was completed in November 2013. The Review considered how effectively the Strategy has performed against its nine strategic objectives. The objective which had the most positive response related to the elimination of gender based violence in society, in particular the progress in relation to domestic violence and sexual assault. This included the opening of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre in September 2013, and the ongoing development of the Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Strategy by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

The Review considered a key action not included in the Strategy centred around eliminating violence between young men.