Preventing violence against women and girls in outdoor public spaces in Belfast: A systems map
Two participatory workshops were held with multi-sectoral stakeholders in Belfast to discuss how we might prevent violence against women and girls in outdoor public spaces
A series of participatory workshops were held across two full days in January 2025 involving 30 stakeholders from multiple sectors across Belfast. The workshops were led by researchers from Queen’s University Belfast as part of a programme of research which aims to investigate how violence against women and girls (VAWG) can be prevented in outdoor public spaces in Belfast. The purpose of the workshops was to codevelop a systems map that represented a shared vision and identified pathways with the potential to prevent VAWG in outdoor public spaces in Belfast.
Prof Ruth Hunter said, “Our vision is to ensure that outdoor public spaces are safe, accessible, and inclusive for women and girls. This will afford women and girls the opportunity to travel to and through outdoor public spaces, without fear of, or the threat of, violence. Having the ability to spend time in outdoor public spaces has direct and indirect benefits on physical and mental health such as increased physical activity, access to nature, and social connectedness.”
Over the course of the workshops, the research team contextualised VAWG in outdoor public spaces, and facilitated stakeholders to think about the problem from a systems perspective, acknowledging environmental, social, cultural, economic and political systems which could be shaping VAWG in outdoor public spaces in Belfast.
Dr Callie Persic, Belfast City Council, said “This research project by Queen’s University Belfast comes at an important time and is aligned with current policy and public awareness about violence against women and girls in outdoor public spaces.”
The workshops produced the following outputs:
- A systems map visualising the factors, and their interrelationships, which could contribute to preventing VAWG in outdoor public spaces in Belfast.
- A list of eight action and priority points with the capacity to prevent VAWG in outdoor public spaces in Belfast.
Reflecting on the workshops, the Executive Office Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Team, said, “The results of the systems mapping process has prioritised clear pathways to change for further discussion with stakeholders. We look forward to being part of the next steps of this important research as it moves into the co-design and co-development of interventions that will ensure that women feel safe and are safe wherever they live, work, play and socialise in the city of Belfast.”
You can access the full report here.
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