To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail how their Department plans to collaborate and cooperate with local government to deliver relevant actions in the Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls.

The Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) Strategic Framework recognises the need for a whole of government and whole of society response. Local Government is represented within the EVAWG governance structures and network arrangements are in place to take forward actions within each Council to support the delivery of the Strategic Framework and first Delivery Plan.

A key action in the EVAWG Delivery Plan is to deliver a Change Fund to support community groups to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. We are now engaging with all local councils to work in partnership with us to deliver the Change Fund. We also hope that the Change Fund will be a catalyst for councils to amplify and extend actions to end violence against women and girls in their plans and programmes.