On Wednesday 12 November 2025, YouthAction Northern Ireland and the Clifton Community Regeneration Forum (CCRF) Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP) hosted an event focused on preventing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in outdoor public spaces. The event featured young people sharing their lived experiences and paid tribute to the 29 women who have been murdered in Northern Ireland since 2020 as a result of gender-based violence. It also included the launch of a new manifesto developed by the young people involved in the CCRF PYDP programme; you can find the full manifesto here. Following the launch of the report, a community walk was held across North Belfast, to raise awareness of Ending VAWG. 

Groundswell researcher at Queen's University Belfast, Dr Sophie Jones, was invited to this event, to speak about the Safer Streets Shared Voices report, which was developed in partnership with YouthAction Northern Ireland among other partners across Belfast. The report brings forward the perspectives of people from across Belfast - including young women and men from diverse backgrounds - and sets out recommendations for tackling VAWG in public spaces.

In her talk, Sophie emphasised the importance of addressing VAWG in outdoor public spaces and highlighted how young people want to be part of the solution, drawing on insights gathered through the research.

YouthAction Northern Ireland is a youth group which supports young people across Northen Ireland. You can find out more information about them here.