Challenging heteronormativity in Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

The phrase ‘Ending Violence Against Women and Girls’ (VAWG) evokes particular images in the public’s collective consciousness. Highly-patriarchical societies, like Northern Ireland, imagine VAWG through a heteronormative lens, where women are infantilised and lack the agency to protect themselves, while men’s only role is that of the abuser and never the victim. Although it is true that a majority of reported abuse victims are women and a majority of reported abusers are men, this narrative of violence fails to capture the experience of hundreds of women in Northern Ireland.

The heteronormative narrative of VAWG must be challenged. Firstly, VAWG can occur from a number of sources, not just male intimate partners. Women and girls have experienced abuse from family members, including parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. LGBTQIA+ women can experience abuse from female partners as well. This lack of diverse representation in the media can prevent women, particularly LGBTQIA+ women, from acknowledging their situation as abusive and violent.

The available domestic violence support resources in Northern Ireland also perpetuate heteronormative stereotypes. When conducting research on domestic violence in Northern Ireland’s LGBTQIA+ population, several queer women told me that support workers often assumed that their abuse was from a male intimate partner. Although these practitioners were well-intentioned, the use of heteronormative language dissuaded many queer women from seeking further domestic abuse support. Additionally, domestic abuse support spaces often cater specifically to cisgender women, which can both explicitly and implicitly exclude transgender women and nonbinary individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB). Finally, all types of abuse must be considered in the EVAWG strategies. Popular media depicts most domestic violence as physical or sexual; however other types of abuse and violence are equally, if not more, common, including emotional abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse, stalking, and coercive control.
It is more evident than ever that VAWG strategies and policies must include ALL women - including LGBTQIA+ women. Domestic violence support organisations must evaluate individual and institutional unconscious biases and adopt intersectional practices to ensure that their services are accessible for ALL women.

Written by Allison Newey

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