Open letter call for comprehensive RSE
Dear Minister Weir
We are writing to you to call for the urgent introduction of compulsory, comprehensive and standardised relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in schools throughout Northern Ireland (NI).
In recent weeks the media has reflected a range of views regarding the provision of comprehensive and inclusive sex and relationships education in NI schools. We welcome the input of expert panels for both the Gender Equality Strategy and the LGBTQI+ Strategy, calling for significant improvements in how this subject is approached.
In addition, on 23rd March, the Assembly voted for a private member's motion that included a Violence Against Women & Girls Strategy, recognition of misogyny as a category of hate crime, and comprehensive, standardised RSE. During the debate, representatives from all parties spoke powerfully about the urgent need to address these problems in our society, and recognised that education is a vital part of this work. Therefore we urge you, as Education Minister, to act now.
Your Department’s current approach requires schools to develop their own RSE policy and deliver according to their own ethos; whilst we appreciate the encompassing sensitivities, the human cost of the resulting insufficient education on this vital topic is a massive public and mental health issue. As Education Minister it is vital that you act as you would if we were consistently evidenced as failing children in mathematics or English language. You and the Assembly at large have both a moral and legal duty to meet this need for our young people, as per the Executive Formation etc NI Act 2019 which enshrined into law the obligation to fulfill the 2018 CEDAW recommendation for age-appropriate, comprehensive and scientifically accurate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
As well as your legal duty, research by Belfast Youth Forum with QUB’s Centre for Children’s Rights and Common Youth shows that young people believe that the sex education they received was not good enough, with 60% saying that they found the information they received “not very useful” or “not useful at all”. The vast majority of students knew they had a right to RSE in school , but felt that this right was not being met. The top priority that students identified was learning about how to navigate personal relationships (66%) with many stating that they want to learn about a range of issues as diverse as menstruation, domestic abuse and consent in a way that is inclusive of everyone. We are aware also that the Youth Forum presented this evidence to your colleagues in the Education Committee in January.
Further, Judge John Gillen also recommended comprehensive RSE as part of the Gillen Review into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences, recognising the role that this plays in prevention of such crimes as well as in achieving justice in any trials that take place, and has recently repeated calls for progress to be made on this front. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has also called for progress on this in light of a report published on 31st March 2021, citing the “direct impact on the overall health of women” and adding “Children and young people need to be given the knowledge and skills they need to manage their sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing across the life course. This must begin with high quality relationships and sex education in schools”.
As reports in NI of domestic abuse incidents, domestic homicide, sexual assault and rape have increased over the past decade, while rates of prosecution and conviction fall, it is time for a sincere re-evaluation of how to address these problems. While our Assembly initiates debates on Violence Against Women and Girls, pragmatic work can be done in classrooms across NI, to ensure that young people embark on healthy and safe adult relationships. Equipping young people with a robust understanding of consent and the tools they need to forge healthy relationships, romantic and otherwise, has been shown to challenge the attitudes and beliefs which can lead to abusive behaviour. This starts with your role as Minister, and requires introducing standardised and compulsory RSE in schools that is inclusive, evidence-based and for everybody.
Kind regards,
Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice is tackling sexual harassment and sexual violence across Northern Ireland. Our goal is to create true cultural change in order to tackle the root causes of these behaviours and empower people to act to change this in their own lives. By working in the community, increasing public awareness, educating organisations on best practice and lobbying for legislative advances in this area we hope for a future without sexual harassment, abuse and violence.
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Organisations
Unison - Patricia McKeown - Regional Secretary
Unison - Catherine McKenna - Chair Belfast Education Branch
Unite the Union - Taryn Trainor - Regional Women’s & Equalities Officer
Alliance for Choice - Emma Campbell - Co-Convenor
Green Party NI - Paul Veronica - Local Representative
Women’s Policy Group NI - Rachel Powell - Women’s Sector Lobbyist
Women’s Resource and Development Agency - Anne McVicker - Director
Women’s Support Network - Karen Sweeney - Director
TransgenderNI - Alexa Moore - Director
Women’s Budget Group - Alexandra Brennan - Coordinator
Reclaim the Agenda - Helen Crickard - Coordinator
HereNI - Danielle Roberts - Policy Development Officer
Ballybeen Peer Education Project - Aimee McCune - Young People’s Support Worker
50:50 NI - Emma Rainey - Board Member
Northern Ireland Women’s Budget Group - Alexandra Brennan - Coordinator
Northern Ireland Women's European Platform - Jonna Monaghan - Project Coordinator
Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network - Louise Coyle
Queen's University Belfast Students' Union - Roisin Muirhead - Equality and Diversity Student Officer
The Workers’ Party - Caoimhe Garland - Director of Communications
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Youth - Karl W. Duncan - Chairperson
Relate NI - Stevie Maginn - Communications & Engagement Officer
UNISON - Danielle McCusker - Area Organiser
UNISON - Caitlín Ni chathail - REO
UNISON - Deborah Yapicioz - Joint Chair Regional Women’s Committee
UNISON - Orchard Health Branch - Emma Jane Cullen - TU officer
UNISON - Caroline Campbell - Chair Causeway Unison Branch
UNISON - Jill Weir - Chair Omagh and Fermanagh Health Branch
UNISON - Deborah Coyle - Welfare Officer
UNISON - Daphne Hutchinson - Southern Education Branch Secretary
QUBSU Project Choice - Katie Ní Chléire - Co-Chair and Welfare Officer
UNISON- Claire Bolt - Area Organiser
Centre for Gender in Politics QUB - Maria Deiana - Co-director
Centre for Gender in Politics QUB - Jamie Hagen - Co-director
Children's Law Centre - Paddy Kelly - Director
The Homeless Period Belfast - Katrina McDonnell - Founder
Rape Crisis Northern Ireland - Katrina McDonnell & Karen Sweeney - Volunteer Support
Belfast & District Trades Council - Paddy Mackel - President
Love To Know - Courtney Allison - Co-founder
Amnesty International - Patrick Corrigan - NI Programme Director
Alliance Party - Karen Douglas - Councillor
Alliance Party - Kate Nicholl - Councillor
Advice NI - Lumturi Podrimaj - Project Manager
Atlas Women's Centre - Gay Sherry-Bingham - Manager
Footprints Women’s Centre - Isobel Loughran - Chief executive
Falls Women’s Centre - Susan McCrory - Centre Manager
Greenway Women's Centre - Lindsay Cooper - Centre Manager
The Rainbow Project - Aisling Twomey - Policy and Advocacy Manager
Belfast Feminist Network - Liz Nelson
Individuals
Helen McBride - BFN member
Dawn Emerson - Healthcare Support Worker
Rosie McConachie - Medical Secretary
Holly Lennon
Rachael Ferguson - Parent
Donnamarie Higgins - Parent
Christine Quigley
Anne Johnston
Florence Tron - Parent
Robyn Mcnulty
Caroline smyth
Claire Murray
Carla Fekkes
Maria Hassan
William Welsh - Parent
Louise McMullen
Caroline Rice
Fiona McGarry - Parent
Éimear Quiery
Jane Robb
Daphne Harper
Adrian Mckenna
Paul Murtagh - Parent
Anne Taggart
Karen Brennan
Siobhan Harding
Alec Chambers
Ezra Pinkerton
Natasha Trimble
Brenda Peel
Leah Rea
Aron Hughes - Youth Worker
Phoebe Comiskey
Áine Owens Fisher
Lucy McMullan
Ross Foley
Jack Elmore
Yasmeen Ward
Máiréad McAleese
Una Barrett
Nicole Armstrong
Helen Flynn - Parent
Ramona Hay
Breidge Flood
Olivia Davidson
Meghan Hoyt - PhD Researcher/Parent
Isabelle Malone crossley
Caoimhe Greenberg
Olivia O'Neill
Sarah Jankowitz
Aina Aina
Victoria Richardson
Joanne Armour
Niamh Kelpie
Darrell Croan
Eva Lee
Eve Golden-Woods
Charly Clyde
Sean O'Neill
Fionnuala Kerr
Jamie-Lee Meneely
Ciara Moorehead
Julia Nic Con Midhe
Hiu Yan
Chelsia Choi
Conor Patterson
Sarah Sonner
Katie Mason
Oliver Corr
Anita Thompson
Briege Canavan
Pam Mackenzie
Riccardo Meucci
Daniel Barclay - Parent
Stuart Buchanan - Parent
Claire Loftus - Parent
Jean Barrett
Jane Weir
Jennifer McNabb
Hannah Brennan
Sophia Armstrong
Helen Struthers
Catherine Cunningham
Caolan McGinley
Unison Fiona Kelly
Chloe Templeton
Orla O'Hagan Parent
Leanne Henderson
Three's Theatre Company - Anna Leckey - Artistic Director
Alliance Party - Glenn Finlay - Councillor
Nexus NI - Emalyn Turkington - Training & Education Manager
EqualityPeriod NI - Suzi Oag - Founder
UNISON - Roisin McKinley- Cook
UNISON - Gillian Foley - Ulster Community and Hospital Trust Branch
UNISON - Gillian Ewart - Womens officer
UNISON - South & East Belfast Branch - Karen Dunwoody - Joint Branch Secretary
UNISON - Nuala Conlon - Regional organiser
Ulster University - Pro-choice Society - Amy Merron Chairperson
Stop Street Harassment NI - Hannah Campbell - Co-Founder
The Homeless Period Belfast - Katie Bryce - Volunteer
The Rainbow Project - Nuala Devenny - Health and Wellbeing Manager
Southern Trust - Rachel Killen - Social worker
South Belfast Sure Start - Grainne McHugh - Family Support Coordinator
Connolly Youth Movement - Conal MacMathúna -
Sex Education Reform NI - Phoebe Comiskey - Founder
UNISON - Wendy Browne - Communications Officer
UNISON - Rosena Robinson -
uHub - Alena Walker PR & Communications Manager
Find Help NI - Alena Walker - PR & Communications Manager
UNISON - Susan Neill - Area Organiser
The feminist shop - Virginia Mendez - Managing director
Generation Women - Sinead Sharkey
UNISON shop steward - David Bailie
UNISON Mater Hospital Branch - Aine Brennan - Branch Secretary
Unison - Myfanwy Carville - Shop Steward
Stop Street Harassment NI - Kristen Wallace - Co-founder
Windsor Women’s Centre - Eleanor Jordan - CEO
Pure Mental NI - Matthew Taylor
Migrant Centre NI - Kendall Bousquet
La Dolce Vita Project - Donna-Maria Logue - Director of Services
Victim Support NI - Geraldine Hanna - CEO
Green Party NI - Rachel Woods - MLA
Reclaim the Night Belfast - Elaine Crory - Co-organiser
People Before Profit - Fiona Ferguson - Belfast City Councillor
UNISON health + safety rep R.V.H Belfast - James Barry McKendry
Ucht Branch - Pamela Mackenzie
IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) - Emma Wallace - Equalities officer
Harbour Faith Community - Steve Ames - Minister
Not On My Campus UK - J Smith - Co-Chair & Trans Convenor
UNISON n&w Belfast branch - Collete O’Hanlon
UNISON - Annemarie McMahon - Shop Steward
UNISON Community and Voluntary Branch - Saoirse Fanning - Joint Branch Secretary
Sinn Féin - Linda Dillon - MLA
Sinn Féin - Nicola Brogan - MLA
Centre for Children's Rights QUB - Michelle Templeton - Research Coordinator
Alliance Party - Nuala McAllister - Councillor
Paul McAleer, Parent
Martin Robinson Researcher
Bronagh Corr, Student
Clodagh Hackett Student
Aoife Camplisson
Elaine Armstrong
Roisin Scullion
Áine Aventin, PhD
Jenny Stewart
Déaglan McConville
Michaela Reid
Margo Carr
Hannah Wood, Parent
Brónagh McAuley
Darragh Corrigan
Gillian Dunn
Harriet Strahan
Jessica Spratt
Courtney Oneill, Parent
Chloe Carragher
Judith Dalzell, Parent
Rosie Fox,Teacher
Mark Keenan
Suzanne Oag
Conor Woods
Suzanne Thornhill, Parent/nurse
Shiona Rankin
Rhys Robinson
Rebekah Wynn,Teaching assistant
Georgia Robinson
Bryony Livesey
Georgia Corbett
Caroline Mc Daid
Néidín Hendron
Evangelia Zacharopoulou
Megan Reynolds, PhD Researcher
Helen Beckett, Sexual abuse researcher
Abby Madden
Rita Cassidy, parent/grandparent
Sarah Clatworthy
Christine Ferguson, Healthcare assistant
Maibh Shiels
Eva Martin
Jane Moore, Parent
Katie Walls
Liam Donnan Parent
Dearbhla Sloan
Ngozi Anyadike-Danes PhD Researcher
Ellen Carr
Matthew Black
Mary Cousins
Eabha Ruddy
Roisin Byrne, Parent
Emma Sarah Largey
Ellen White, Trainee Educational Psychologist
Fiona Pollard
Sonia McCann, Parent
Martine Teggart
Mary ward
Brona Cullen
Ellen Oconnor
Charlie Beare
Jessica Underwood
Joe Leathem
Kate Mccahey
Thomas Hawthorne
Jane Ritchie, Parent
Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly, Parent
Emir Kullar, Parent/senior lecturer
Julia Rojo
Carmel Hinds
Maeve McNally
Orla O'Hagan
Angeline Adams
Joseph McWilliams
Christine McGrath
Ciara McKenna
Sarah Tracey
Claire Johnson
Karen McCallum
Averil Anthony
Ellie McBride
Aaron Watson
Sharon Morrison
Michelle Magee, Parent
Claire Scott, Parent
Ann Butler
Nuala McMenamin