Racism, Islamophobia and Violence Against Women and Girls.

Society portrays girls as nurturing, caring, innocent and naive, and that’s how the initial formative years are for some. And yet, there are many spaces where girls are exposed to the most atrocious crimes. As a girl, I saw my neighbour expose himself in public, I told no one, this indecent exposure remained unaddressed. As a teenager, a stranger put his hands on my thigh whilst I was in school uniform on the bus, I told no one. As a woman, I have been exposed to various forms of violence, for years I told no one, because society had conditioned me to believe that I was not to tell anyone. That my whole being was centered around, being caring, nurturing, motherly and above all else to maintain honour. But whose honour?

Where is the honour in violence perpetrated against women. It took years of healing and exposures to come to the realisation that I didn’t cause these actions against me, no girl or women ever do.

I always thought being in the West, a developing country where women are constantly fighting for their rights, would finally be my salvation. But it wasn’t, the laws are never enough to protect the women and girls.

Every girl of colour I have met in Northern Ireland leaving college or university now tell me the same thing “I can’t wait to leave Northern Ireland”. A place where we call home, but can never be accepted despite it all. Imagine living in a place you call home, only to find you aren't welcomed. This is the grim reality facing many women and girls from minority backgrounds in Northern Ireland today. Nurses and healthcare care workers, women dedicating their lives to helping others are among those who have been assaulted simply for existing. These racist attacks are driving them to consider leaving, abandoning the very communities they’ve been part of and are actively contributing to. But the problem goes deeper. Northern Ireland is failing women. It lags behind the rest of the UK in protecting us from violence.

Every woman has the right to feel safe, to be safe, yet the gaps in legislation leave many unprotected and unheard.

For minority women this is compounded by the institutional failures to address Racism, Islamophobia and prejudice. We cannot ignore this any longer. We owe it to these women, to all women, to demand change—now.

Written by Coumilah Manjoo