Over 60 representatives from across local government, academia, community and voluntary sectors gathered in Belfast for a workshop focused on ending violence against women and girls in open and public spaces.

Hosted by Belfast Healthy Cities and supported by Belfast City Council, the event brought together a range of partners, including local and regional government, statutory bodies, alongside the voluntary and community sector and private partners, highlighting the strong collaboration emerging around this important issue.

The seminar opened by Belfast City Council recognised the growing momentum across the city to address safety for women and girls. Throughout the morning, speakers shared insights into both the challenges and opportunities in creating safer, more inclusive public spaces.

Queen’s University Belfast provided valuable evidence on women and girls’ experiences of safety in public spaces, helping to ground discussions in research. This was followed by input from Public Health Scotland, who outlined how the Place Standard Tool can be used as a practical framework to support conversations about place, safety and wellbeing at a city level.

A key highlight of the event was the North Belfast case study, where Belfast Healthy Cities has been working with local communities to apply the Place Standard Tool with a specific focus on safety. Attendees heard directly from community representatives involved in the project, bringing together powerful local perspectives.

Charlene Brooks, CEO at Belfast Healthy Cities said: “This work is about listening to lived experience and working in partnership to understand what needs to change. By bringing together partners from across sectors, we can move beyond identifying issues and start shaping solutions that will make a real difference to women and girls across Belfast.”

The workshop concluded with Belfast Healthy Cities showcasing a new animation highlighting the challenges identified by local residents in relation to women and girls feeling safe in their communities, along with potential solutions. This was followed by an interactive workshop session, where attendees explored key themes and identified actions to take forward in the short, medium and long term across the city.