'Zero-tolerance zone' for violence against women

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane says she has made a "public commitment" to make Derry City and Strabane a zero-tolerance city when it comes to violence against women.

Lilian Seenoi-Barr was speaking on Monday night following an event at the Guildhall in Londonderry to discuss violence against women and girls.

In November last year, extra officers were deployed in the city and about a thousand people attended a rally to oppose violence against women and girls, following two serious sexual assaults in the area.

Some of those in attendance included PSNI Ch Supt Gillian Kearney, members from the Housing Executive and also survivors of domestic abuse.

The event was hosted by Seenoi-Barr who told BBC News NI that she has made a "public commitment" to make Derry City and Strabane a zero-tolerance city when it comes to violence against women.

"I have made a public commitment that I will take that to council", she said.

Speaking after the event, the mayor said that practical measures like putting billboards up mean that "women can see visibly that we are fighting for their rights and men can notice when we are talking about violence against women".

"It is about their daughters, it is about their aunties and their sisters. I am really proud of every single person who has come here this evening."

She told BBC News NI that women and the community have had enough of violence against women and girls.

"We've had enough as women and we've had enough as a community. It is now time we step up our actions and start delivering for women in this city and district", she said.

Seenoi-Barr thanked those who shared their "own personal horrors of what they've been through".

"You had from every single person how touching their message to really tackle violence against women is," she said.

This is the importance of conversation. When you come together you collectively bring ideas to the table that can be implemented."

One of the other ideas put forward at the event by "grassroots organisations", the mayor said, was for a comprehensive educational programme.

She added: "That will educate our young men in school about consent and respect for young women and for men to stand up for young women.

"These conversations need to happen at our kitchen tables, at our offices, everywhere".

"I was horrified when a councillor shared a story of a woman walking on the streets and her alarm went off accidentally and she could not get help from anybody.

"That shows we are not actively looking for signs of violence against women in our streets and one way is to bring people together to speak up in platforms like these."

PSNI Ch Supt Gillian Kearney was one of the speakers at the event.

"To those who feel they have been let down by policing it is truly heartbreaking", she said.

"I am here and I am listening to everything you have to say".

She said that Derry City and Strabane PSNI were launching an educational digital campaign 'Power to Change', with the hope of "changing attitudes behaviours and beliefs around violence against women and girls".

"It is really important people have confidence that in the police.. that we are getting this right around attitudes and behaviours."

"Collectively we can work together to bring this to a better place."