The Speaker has received notice from the First Minister and deputy First Minister that they wish to make a statement. Before I call the First Minister, I remind Members that they must be concise in asking their questions. This is not an opportunity for debate. Long introductions will not be allowed.

Today, I am delighted that we are announcing Executive approval for the strategic framework to end violence against women and girls and its first delivery plan. Before I continue, I would like to remember all those women who have been tragically murdered in our community recently. I extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Patsy Aust, Kathryn Parton, Sophie Watson and Montserrat Martorell, all of whom died in horrific circumstances over the past few months. At the weekend, we heard of another tragic loss — that of Rachel Simpson. Five women dead in a matter of weeks. Five women whose names we now know for the most tragic of reasons. There have been many others. In the past four years, over 20 women have been killed here, and their untimely deaths have had a lasting and traumatic impact on their family and friends. The depth of the loss, which is always felt, is so hard to express here in words.

All of that points to how shocking our statistics are. Behind those statistics are all those individuals. The stories of all those women who were killed must make us even more determined to act to tackle the scourge of violence, harm and abuse, which seriously impacts on the lives of too many women and girls right across our community.

Today, we bring forward a strategic framework and first delivery plan to help mobilise a whole-of-society and whole-of-government response. The strategic framework was co-designed by different voices, many with years of experience in the area, and all of whom, like us, are committed to ending violence against women and girls. We are very grateful to them for that. I acknowledge that some of them are here, in the Public Gallery, this afternoon.

The public consultation responses were overwhelming in their support for realising the framework's vision: a changed society, where women and girls are free from all forms of gender-based violence, abuse and harm, including the attitudes, systems and structural inequalities that cause them. The framework sets out a seven-year road map and describes the changes that are needed and the work that needs to be done to bring about an end to violence against women and girls. It will help to mobilise all parts of society to improve outcomes across four key themes.

The first is prevention, which is about addressing the underlying causes of violence against women and girls to stop it before it even starts. It is the main focus of the strategic framework. We want everyone to understand what violence against women and girls is and how to take action to prevent it. We want everyone, especially our young people, to be equipped to enjoy healthy, respectful relationships. We want to ensure that women and girls feel safe, and are safe, everywhere. That means educating ourselves, our society and our young people in every aspect of their lives to ensure that we are clear that violence and abuse in relationships are never acceptable. Ultimately, we want to change society so that women and girls no longer live under that underlying threat and very real risk of harm and abuse, and it is a place where everyone can thrive and be safe.

Protection and provision of services is key to the success of the strategic framework. We will support delivery of quality front-line services for victims and survivors whilst investing in the grassroots communities that carry out amazing work in tackling that issue to build capacity and extend those services. Our strategic priorities also include strengthening the justice system to build the confidence of victims and survivors and the public and create a safe space for them to tell their stories and see justice done.

All that requires us to work better together across all parts of government and society to end violence against women and girls. We must work together to equip and empower our young people to enjoy healthy, respectful relationships. Men and boys have an important role to play in ending violence against women and girls. They are part of the solution if we are to bring about a change to attitudes and behaviour and challenge a misogynistic culture that can lead to harm, abuse and violence against women and girls.

The framework sets out and tells us clearly what needs to be done. It is shaped by real people and real-life experiences. From that, we have created an initial delivery plan, which will deliver real-life change to people in need. That is just the beginning. We will continue to work together, right across the Chamber, to build a changed society where women and girls are free from all forms of violence, abuse and harm. Collaboration is essential for us to start to build the transformative change that is required.

The delivery plan is designed to connect and support many parts of government and other strategies and investment. That includes the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and their work to deliver the domestic and sexual abuse strategy and the recommendations of the Gillen review. Collaboration and innovation will improve front-line services, protection and provision for victims and survivors, and will therefore improve experiences and better outcomes for women and girls.

That work will support efforts across all parts of society. That includes building on the vital work of the grassroots groups and organisations across the voluntary and community sector. We have spoken to those people on the front line who help women and girls who are suffering and are in the most dire need of support and guidance. They make a difference each and every day. They are often the first port of call; a trusted and safe space for women and girls who need help. They are the continued source of support for victims and survivors. Their work on the ground is helping to address the culture of damaging attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that can lead to violence against women and girls. We must continue to support the delivery of that life-changing work. Community investment is therefore key. The plan ring-fences £3 million over two years in a change fund. That will support grassroots groups and community and voluntary sector organisations to do more to further build capacity and be better equipped to address the significant issue in their area. That way, we will see more interventions that will make a real difference to people's lives. We will announce further details on the change fund in the time ahead.

We will also develop campaigns to raise awareness. They will provide strong and consistent messaging so that there are no excuses and everyone understands the issue and the attitudes, behaviours and culture that enable and lead to this deep-rooted problem.

I have said this before, and I will say it again: there is no place in our society for violence against women and girls. It is an epidemic, and we must stop it. The harm and abuse that many suffer is often hidden in plain sight. It can affect anyone, including people whom we know. It can affect the women and girls in our life — our mummies, our sisters, our daughters, our granddaughters and our friends — the woman who lives across the street, the woman who sits next to you in work, or the woman you meet on the bus, in the shop or at the school gates. It happens everywhere. It must stop, and there is something that all of us can do.

The framework has been designed by our society and government working together. It has been fully endorsed by the public in the consultation. It is now for all of us to continue to work together and make real change possible. That way, we can end violence against women and girls.

Thank you, First Minister, for your statement today. I really welcome the progress that has been made. It is long overdue and very positive. The elephant in the room is funding. Your statement mentioned £3 million for a change fund over two years. Do you accept that that does not even scratch the surface of what is required and that we are far, far away from the €60 million investment and 35 dedicated members of staff that the Irish Government committed to in recent days to tackle violence against women and girls?

Of course we would want to have more funding and resources, but this is a good first step. We are nowhere near the position that the South of Ireland is in; you know that. There are two different jurisdictions, unfortunately, for now. We have to deal with the reality in which we are working. It is a positive first step today to be able to announce £3 million to back up some of the delivery work that we want to see over the next two years, but it is just the start. Let us build on it and learn as we go. Right at the heart of the strategy and plan that has been set out is the idea that we can measure our progress as we go and continually look towards revising areas that we think need revision. We need to continue to invest in the area.

I wish that we were in the same position and that we could invest at the level that you referred to, but that is not our reality. However, I am pleased that we now have the strategy and framework and that there is broad support for it. We now need to see the delivery plans and the practical benefits on the ground. Let us get that £3 million out to the groups that provide first-class services every day, often on very restricted budgets. Today marks the start of our getting to a point at which we can end violence against women and girls. I think that we all have to accept that that is a reality. We can end violence against women and girls. Prevention is right at the heart of that. We must invest. As I said, I am pleased that we have been able to do this today.

Thank you, First Minister, for your statement. I echo the condolences that you sent to the bereaved families of the poor women who lost their life so tragically.

Thank you for meeting us earlier. I want to pick up on your point about the grassroots groups in the community and voluntary sector that have been battling away in this area for so long. We know that, when media attention is put on an issue such as ending violence against women and girls, there may be some women who come forward who have experienced historical cases of violence and abuse. How will they be provided for in the frameworks?

The framework is very much about ending violence against all women and girls, including anyone who has been impacted on by historical institutional abuse, but we also have a focused area of work to make sure that we have proper support for people who have come through such trauma. If, for example, throughout the lifetime of the delivery plan, we start to see that that becomes an issue of concern or launching the framework today perhaps invites more women to come forward, we would, obviously, have to adjust to reflect that. Thank you for that question.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chead-Aire as a ráiteas.

[Translation: I thank the First Minister for her statement.]

The strategic framework states:

"a whole of society and whole of government approach" is needed to end the daily violence against women and girls. Will the First Minister confirm that the voices of those with lived experience and expertise are and will be reflected in this vital strategy and delivery plan?

I thank the Member for that question. She makes a relevant point. Success in this area of work has to involve us listening to people on the front line. They are at the coalface, supporting women day and daily. There is no better experience that could be brought to bear on how we should respond than the experience of those who have been impacted. Those real-life experiences and voices have been crucial in getting us to the juncture we are at today. They help us to properly understand the journey that a woman may go through. Co-design has been at the heart of developing the strategy, and we are proud of the fact that so many partners came together to get it right. I confirm that the feedback from the consultation was positive about it being the right approach. As I said, today marks the start of our journey in ending violence against women and girls.

As a member of the Committee for the Executive Office, I warmly welcome today's announcement on the strategy and delivery plan. It is essential that the strategy to end violence against women and girls is not categorised as a woman's issue but is viewed as an issue for all of society. Challenging negative beliefs and attitudes towards women and girls is the responsibility of everyone. Will the Minister join me in saying that everyone in the Chamber has a role to play and that we must lead by example?

Yes, thank you. I look forward to working with the Member and the Committee as we develop the work and see the implementation of the delivery plan. Absolutely, it is a whole-of-society problem. It is not a woman's problem. It is about all of society, and everybody has a role to play. The areas of work that we have identified in the delivery plan will focus minds on key messaging in order to ensure that people understand what violence looks like and that it comes in many forms. Getting that better understanding will help us to get to the point where we can say that we have ended violence against women and girls. I absolutely concur that a whole-of-society approach is required for us to be successful.

Thank you, Minister. I welcome the framework. It really is something that we can get stuck into. Much of prevention is brought about through education, and you focused on that heavily. Punishment, however, is also a clear deterrent. Outcome 5 refers to a justice system that "holds perpetrators to account" and that in itself brings societal "confidence". Our sentencing for violence against women and girls in particular is absolutely pitiful: will the Minister and Executive Office work with the Justice Minister and the judiciary so that we get sentences that are fit for purpose?

As the Member has rightly highlighted, the justice system is one of the areas that we are focused on. All Executive colleagues are committed to delivering on the framework, including the work around justice that falls within the framework and is under the responsibility of the Justice Department. When we come at such things, prevention is the best approach. That is why the framework and delivery plan focus on prevention, but the other side is, obviously, ensuring that sentencing is appropriate. Absolutely, we will continue to work with Justice on that.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chead-Aire as a ráiteas.

[Translation: I thank the First Minister for her statement.]

Minister, I thank you for your answers thus far and associate myself with the condolences that you passed on to the families of all the women who have been murdered recently.

I welcome the statement. It is particularly relevant given the actions of the past few weeks to which you referred. Minister, can you comment on whether you will give specific consideration to the groups of women who are at particular risk of violence such as our LGBTQI+ women, women from ethnic minority backgrounds and other women who may be at the margins of society?

Thank you for that. Of course, you are absolutely right. There is no doubt in my mind that there are many women and girls across our society who will face particular and increased risks, as well as additional barriers to justice, services and support — not only women who are deaf or disabled or from minority ethnic communities or from LGBTQIA+ communities but older women, women who are financially dependent, women who are homeless, women who suffer from addiction, women who have emigrated here and women who live in rural areas. There are particular barriers that will be faced by different categories of women, and it is important that we say from the Chamber today to all of those women that we see you and hear you and that we are determined to reach you as well as everybody else.

Part of our delivery plan, as you will see, includes ensuring that we fully understand any of those additional barriers, in whatever form they may come, and understand whatever additional challenges there may be. We then have to work out how we can overcome those challenges. I assure the Member that this is, again, an area of work that will be very much evidence-based and driven by the lived experience of so many women and girls.

Like the Minister, I welcome the strategy and the positive difference that it will make to the lives of women and girls in Northern Ireland. What funding has been allocated to the strategy, and where will that funding come from?

Thank you for your comments on the strategy. I am delighted to say that the deputy First Minister and I have been able to secure the £3 million funding. I want to get that onto the ground as quickly as possible, so we are actively working our way through how that can be done. We have published the plan today, we know what the actions are and now we just need to be able to fund it. I think that £3 million for the first two years of the programme allows us to get moving on that work, but we need to continue to build on that and add to it as we can.

Thank you, First Minister. This is a really welcome day, and I think of all the women in Northern Ireland who have lost their lives to gender-based violence. There are some really good positives in the delivery plan, but I want to touch on funding. Have you engaged with the co-design partners in regard to the funding that has been allocated, and are you confident that all the positive actions in the plan can be delivered with the funding?

Yes, I absolutely can say that we have engaged with partners the whole way through. They are part and parcel of getting us to this juncture, and we are grateful. That is the strength of the strategy and of the delivery plan. I do not think that there is anybody out there who would not say that we would want to have more finances to put in this area of work. We have identified the £3 million, and we will work with the sector and the organisations to get that out onto the ground as quickly as possible.

As I said, one of the benefits of the plan is that we will do a stocktake every six months. We will report to the Executive on progress, and we will be able to identify additional areas that come on board that we, perhaps, have not planned for. We have to continually try to maximise the funding that we have for this work. We will very much work with the sector. I have no doubt that there will not be anybody in the sector who will not say that they need additional funding to do the necessary work on the ground.

Go raibh maith agat, a Chéad-Aire.

[Translation: Thank you, First Minister.]

I thank the Minister for bringing the strategy to the House today. It is long-awaited but very welcome, and I am glad to hear about all the work that has been done and has been put in by all of those most impacted.

Minister, we know that there needs to be a justice response and that we need to support all of the victims, but the most important thing is to ensure that there are not victims or perpetrators in the first place and to protect all of those who end up in those circumstances. Minister, do you have confidence that all of the Ministers and all of the Departments are fully bought in to the strategy and will work in collaboration across Departments, with statutory partners and with the community and voluntary sector to deliver the strategy?

Yes, I am confident about that. Every Department has been involved and engaged in the work that we have done to get us to this point. The fact that the Executive have signed off on this as an Executive-wide strategy shows the commitment across the Executive to this work. I have no doubt that every Member in the Chamber also supports this work. This is something that is so deep-rooted in our society, and, if we do not start to try to turn it around and end it and focus on prevention, the problem will only get worse.

You can see from the document that we talk about "Working better together", and that is very much our commitment at a ministerial level and across the sector with those who are on the ground in the delivery of the framework to make sure that we meet the needs of all. I am confident that we have that commitment to work together, and working better together applies to most things in life. We will get more done when we work together than we will when we work in silos.

I welcome the strategy and trust that, as it is taken forward, work will also be done with men and boys. What processes have been put in place to effectively evaluate the strategy to ensure that it is actively making a difference for women and girls?

I concur. This is not just for women to solve; it is for everybody in society to solve. The piece of the jigsaw around education is crucial in making sure that we have clear, consistent messaging across society, including in our school system.

With regard to being able to measure our progress, written into the plan is an outcomes-based accountability framework. We will have an oversight board in place that will report twice a year to the Executive. Those reports will be not just from the Executive Office but across all Departments and all strategies that are aligned to the framework. In the coming weeks, we will talk about the Department of Justice and Department of Health domestic and sexual abuse strategy (DSA). All those things will be interlinked and complementary in many ways. It is important that those things are aligned. I am confident that we can measure our progress as we go.

I thank the Minister for her statement. It is extremely important that we instill in our young people, in society and, particularly, in men and boys an understanding of what healthy, respectful relationships are. Does the Minister agree that that will be a key component in addressing violence against women and girls?

Yes, I absolutely agree. As I said previously, it is an everyone issue. We have to take that approach to it, otherwise we will not be successful in ending violence against women and girls. All the evidence tells us that most acts of violence against women and girls are by men, so the problem will not be solved without the support of men and boys. We need them to be allies in this area of work. They are an integral part of the solution, so it is important that we talk to young people and, in particular, men and boys about their role in getting us to the point where we eradicate violence against women and girls.

I welcome the strategy. I want to touch on grassroots organisations in local communities. How will they be involved in delivering protection and services on the ground? Will you touch on the likes of alcohol abuse and mental health services and how those can be supported moving forward?

There are strategies around those last two areas, but none of these things can work in silos. To have a whole-of-society approach, we have to come at everything in a holistic and collective way. We want to be able to say more about the change fund and how we will get the £3 million on to the ground over the coming weeks. We are working our way through the practicalities of what that looks like, but I assure the Member that we will make sure that that is widely publicised and that groups know what they can apply for, the quantum of it and the area of work that they can deliver. We will be able to document a lot more about that once we get to a final juncture, so we will be able to say more in the coming weeks.

I thank both Ministers for the statement this morning and welcome its launch. Notwithstanding the independence of the judiciary from the Department of Justice and the Executive Office, it is important that all parts of our criminal justice system work together in tackling violence against women and girls. I want to ask specifically about the issue of bail. I think of the brutal murder of Katie Simpson. Her murderer was let out on bail and not remanded back into custody. How will the First Minister and deputy First Minister engage with the judiciary regarding that aspect of bail and those who are charged with serious offences against women?

Perhaps it would be better if I came back to the Member in detail in writing, because a lot of that comes under the remit of DOJ and what it is doing, but I am very happy to follow it up with a more holistic response.

In answer to a previous question, I said that none of these things can be looked at in isolation; they need to be looked at in the round. Our strategy is around making sure that prevention is at the heart of our plan. That is the best solution so that we do not focus all our efforts at the end point, but, clearly, we have to when terrible, horrible murders have occurred.

On the particular question of granting bail, I will ask DOJ to write to the Member.

I join the First Minister in thanking the incredible organisations and their staff who are here today. Without them, the strategic framework and the first delivery plan would not have been possible. It is a very positive and historic day for ending violence against women and girls. So many victims of sexual violence feel that an important aspect of violence that needs to be addressed is the retraumatisation that they experience in our court system. What has been included in the strategy to support victims and survivors who are going through our courts? Can the First Minister provide any detail of any conversations that she has had with the Justice Minister on the matter?

One of our key themes is around the justice system, because we know, as the Member has said, that going to court is a very traumatic time for any woman who has experienced violence. Going through the justice system and feeling that retraumatisation is something that has to be tackled. I am very glad to say that, yes, we have been working with the Department of Justice on that area. It is one of our key themes, and something on which we are going to make improvements. We will be able to say more about that as the plan develops. The Member can see from the first delivery plan that it is an area on which we are focused in the first two years, because we identify it as being one of the areas on which we need to see early progress made. We hope to keep Members up to date on the work that we are doing. When it comes to justice, for example, one such area of work is the My Justice Journey platform, which will allow us to improve access to information and support and to build confidence in the justice system. That will be a very targeted campaign to ensure that people have the fullest information. It will represent a good development by addressing some of the areas to which the Member has just referred.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chead-Aire as a ráiteas.

[Translation: I thank the First Minister for her statement.]

I commend the launch of the strategic framework and the ambitious first delivery plan. As other Members have said, incredible work is already being done on the ground in our communities to help prevent violence against women and girls but also to help those who are suffering abuse and harm every single day. Will the First Minister outline how she will continue to support the groups and organisations that carry out that life-changing work?

Yes. That goes right to the heart of how we will use the £3 million that we have identified for the change fund. As I said, it is only the beginning, in order to allow us to get moving on the first two-year plan. The investment in our community and voluntary sector will enable all those grassroots groups and regional organisations to expand the number of on-the-ground projects in response to particular issues on which they are already working. I hope that our supporting them through that investment will enhance the work that they do so well. Many of the groups and organisations are ready to scale up if we can secure additional funding. It is that type of work that makes a hugely positive difference to people's lives. It transforms people's lives. I want everyone to be clear that our ambition for the programme is to do what we can in the immediate future but also, for the next seven years, to determine how we can continue to build on what we have announced today and continue to create that long-term transformation in society.

I thank the First Minister for her statement. I join my colleagues in welcoming the launch of the strategic framework today. A number of Members have referenced the importance of education in tackling violence against women and girls. Will the First Minister confirm what engagement she will have with the Education Minister to ensure that any interventions in our schools are accessed by all pupils in Northern Ireland and will not be a lottery based on the priorities that individual schools set?

The Member will know that we recently had a debate on that topic. I agree that, in today's world, there is so much misleading information and mistruth out there, and it is so easily accessed, often online, by all our children and young people and by adults. It is therefore more important than ever that our young people have age-appropriate information that is consistent and is provided in school and also that they have trusted adults to speak to and engage with.

As you know, the Department of Education is reviewing the relationships and sexuality education curriculum. The Member will have a role to play in trying to shape that review. We need to reach further and beyond, however. It needs to be got right in schools but also beyond there, in wider society. How therefore do we support community groups that work with young people with messaging, for example? How do we support families as they navigate the complex world in which we live today?

The healthy relationships forum that is led by the Department of Education is reviewing not only what we teach our young people but how we equip the trusted role models in our schools, communities and homes. Our change fund will also have a role to play in supporting groups that work with young people in particular.

I thank the Minister for her statement. I note that the framework is based on lived experiences and on the expertise of those who work every day to end violence against women and girls. How will the progress of the strategic framework and delivery plan be measured?

It is a scenario in which we can clearly measure our progress. We will have an oversight board. That will not just be in Departments but will work with the sector. The framework will be benchmarked regularly. We will have regular reviews, and we will be able to monitor how effective we have been or, perhaps, where we have not been effective and need to do better. I am confident that we have built into the plan the tools to measure progress.

Thank you, First Minister. I am delighted to hear your answer about the oversight board. You talked about collaboration, co-production and co-design: does that mean that, as part of the oversight board, the community and voluntary sector will continue to have a role in updating and amending the framework moving forward, if needs be?

Yes. We have developed a performance management framework that will monitor progress against our objectives. Part of the work to be undertaken under the first delivery plan that we have set out today involves the establishment of baselines. That will support the effective measurement of progress, which will be able to be monitored at both programme and project level on an outcomes-based accountability basis. We want to ensure that the oversight board will be cross-sectoral and include representation from local government, the community and voluntary sector and independent experts, the people who helped design the framework that we have today.

Go raibh maith agat, a Chéad-Aire.

[Translation: Thank you, First Minister.]

I thank the First Minister for her statement, and I note that she spoke about the women who have lost their lives in horrific circumstances in recent weeks. Does the First Minister agree that the launch of the framework and delivery plan is essential and timely?

Yes. Every loss of life or every woman who has experienced violence is too many. It is so timely that, today, we reach the point of announcing the framework and delivery plan, given, as I said, the number of women who have so tragically lost their lives to something that is preventable. Violence against women and girls is preventable. I referred to five more names, and enough is enough: it is time for it to stop and for everybody in society to step up and make sure that this is the end. Today, as a society, we start on a journey towards the point at which we can end violence against women and girls and create an environment where we say no to everyday sexism, misogyny and abuse and do so collectively.

My thoughts are also with the victims of violence. There are survivors in the Public Gallery today, and I pay tribute to them.

Under "Working better together", the plan includes conducting the first phase of gap analysis of violence against women and girls provision. Is there a timescale for that analysis and for the roll-out of additional phases?

Yes. Gap analysis is important. In year 1 of our two-year plan, we will have research on men and boys' attitudes and behaviours related to violence against women and girls. We also want to evaluate the criminal justice support worker pilot that ran in Belfast and Lisburn Women's Aid and to conduct the first phase of gap analysis for violence against women and girls — provision in general and specialist services — to help to inform further policies. If we are to keep advancing and making strides forward, it is important that those areas of work go ahead. The first piece is around research on the attitudes of men and boys, but we will do the three pieces of work over the next two years.

I thank the First Minister for her statement. I also put on record my sympathy to the families of the ladies lost to violence and my solidarity with those who suffer the scourge of violence day and night.

We have heard that prevention, education and early Intervention are crucial. Effective punishment also plays a part, but does the strategy say anything about the role that the rehabilitation of offenders might play in reducing the risk to women across our society?

The strategy is very much focused on prevention; that is at the heart of the strategy. Rehabilitation will fall to the Department of Justice. That is outside the framework but runs alongside it, because all these things are interlinked.

I thank the First Minister and deputy First Minister. I am keen on outcome 3 about women and girls feeling safe everywhere, with a particular focus on creating a safer night-time economy for audiences and artists in our arts venues and spaces . I am keen to understand how, on an ongoing basis, all Departments will feed into the strategy when it comes to changes to policies or regulations, such as licensing regulations or mandatory training for entertainment venues and licensed premises.

Thanks for that. There is a dedicated stream on being able to go out and socialise safely, which is really important. A group is now in place. As we develop the strategy, when any changes come forward, that group should be the filter that provides the lens. I think that is how it will operate, but I will confirm that. We now have a ready-made group: why would it not become the filter and lens for the framework and what we are trying to achieve? We have to make sure that it gives us feedback. Where we need to adapt policy, regulation or legislation, that is what we should do.

Last week, in evidence at the Executive Office Committee, the Equality Commission suggested that transgender rights are a gap in equality legislation. In Scotland, there was a ridiculous situation where a rapist was held in a female prison before, rightly, being moved. Is there anything in the strategy to defend women-only rights and women-only spaces and to oppose the efforts of a biological man who thinks he is a woman to gain access to female-only spaces?

It is unfortunate that you take that approach, but we will not be distracted. We are here to launch a strategy to end violence against women and girls. It is endemic in our society, and it must stop. The focus of the framework is on prevention and tackling the root causes of violence against women. We will remain focused on the work that we are trying to do. It is a whole-society approach. I encourage you even to get behind it, because it is really important. It is about women who are being murdered. We need to end violence against women and girls. I would like to think that everyone who has been elected to the Chamber has the same goal in mind.

Thank you, First Minister. I join you in remembering those who have been killed by partners or ex-partners. Intimidation points are still not awarded to women who are harassed by current or ex-partners. I am keen to hear how the strategy will work in respect of that problem.

The £3 million does not seem a lot, given the scale of the problem and the fact that it is endemic in our society. What financial support will be given to support women who want to leave abusive partners but are economically trapped?

Thanks for that. I go back to the point that the strategy is about prevention. It is vital that we focus on prevention and ensure that the violence does not happen. That will take time, of course. We will not do it overnight, but we have to start somewhere, and today is the start of that work. I agree with you about the intimidation points. My party colleagues have also raised that issue. It is separate from the preventative piece and the framework, but, yes, collectively, we, as an Assembly, should look towards how that can be rectified in the housing system.

On the £3 million comment, this is the start of a plan. It is £3 million for the first two years. I hope we can build on that, particularly when we find areas of work where we can invest more. We will not be found wanting in trying to find every penny that we can to tackle what is the biggest issue facing our society.

First Ministers, I welcome the strategic framework launch. I also appreciate that both First Ministers have taken it forward, almost as a flagship policy priority for this mandate. That sends a clear message about how serious the issue is. I join the First Minister in paying tribute to the victims of violence, not just those who have lost their lives, or who are trying to move on from what has happened to them, but those who will, inevitably, lose their lives in the future, because this is not going to fix things overnight.

Does the First Minister genuinely have Executive buy-in from all Ministers? I am mindful of the fact that, six months ago, the previous Health Minister cut funding to Nexus, and then, reactively, reinstated it because of public outcry. We also had an Assembly debate, prior to the summer, in which the Minister of Education did not support a change to RSE in schools. That change would encourage healthy relationships, which is a big part of the wider societal piece that you talked about.

I thank the Member. I know that you also raised the issue earlier during Members' statements, so thank you for that. I also know that you will get behind the framework.

All Executive Ministers signed up to the framework. It is now a collective Executive strategy, so it is down to the collective Executive to make it happen. I can say no more than that. I can tell you that I am determined, and I know that the deputy First Minister is determined, to ensure that the framework and delivery plan are live from today. I encourage people to look them up online. We want people to be engaged in them. The hard work starts here. We have a huge opportunity to turn this tanker and to end violence against women and girls. It is incumbent on us to get to the point at which we end violence against women and girls. If we do nothing else in this Assembly mandate, is that not the thing to do? Thanks to everybody for their contributions to the debate.

Members, that concludes questions on the statement. I ask Members to take their ease for a moment or two as we prepare for the next item of business.