The Rural Community Network (RCN) and the Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN) are to jointly lead a community-led review which will be asked to make targeted recommendations on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in rural areas.

The review, a joint initiative between the Executive Office and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), was announced last week to coincide with the International Day of Rural Women.

First minister Michelle O’Neill said: “To mark International Day of Rural Women, we reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that every woman and girl — no matter where they live — can live free from fear and harm.

“Living in the countryside can be such a positive experience, but very often those who abuse will use this to further isolate women and girls from access to help and support. We recognise this issue and tackling it is a key action in our ‘Ending Violence Against Women and Girls’ delivery plan.

“I am confident that this review, based on real-life experiences, will help us better understand the realities of rural life and will ensure that our actions deliver the help and support these women and girls need.”

Deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly said: “Every woman and girl deserves to feel safe and be safe, no matter where they live.

“We are aware that rural women and girls often face unique and hidden challenges when it comes to accessing support and justice. We are committed to doing everything we can to address those challenges and ensure their needs are met.

“This important review, led by trusted rural organisations, will help us better understand those needs.

“It is also vital that everyone gets involved so that the voices of rural women and girls are heard. By sharing your personal experiences and thoughts, you can help us identify the areas that need addressed and ensure that we can deliver meaningful change that will make a real difference for all living in our rural communities.”

DAERA minister Andrew Muir added: “Through this community-led review, I believe we will be better informed as a society about the lived experience and tragic impact violence has had on women and girls living in rural communities.

“These insights will help identify the barriers in terms of accessing support in rural areas and inform actions we could take forward as an NI Executive, and in partnership with the voluntary and community sector, to address the concerning trends of increased violence against women and girls in our rural communities.

“I would therefore strongly encourage all sections of our community, be that sports clubs, community groups, churches, boys and men, to participate this community-led review as we all have a part to play in making Northern Ireland a safe place for everyone to live and enjoy.”

Anyone wishing to find out further information should contact the Rural Community Network (RCN) on info@ruralcommunitynetwork.org and the Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN) on info@nirwn.org.