Dear Northern Ireland Housing Executive,

I write in relation to NIHE’s role as a member of the Belfast Domestic & Sexual Violence Partnership (The Partnership). My understanding is that The Partnership’s aims are to work to improve services for all adults and children experiencing domestic & sexual violence and abuse.

Please advise me of the following:

Why is The Partnership based in a building that is a safe space strictly for women only?

Why is The Partnership’s Co-ordinator based in a building that is a safe space strictly for women only?

What risk management assessment has been conducted to determine the appropriateness of these arrangements?

How do NIHE justify the decision to agree that responsibility for the day to day line management of The Partnership Co-ordinator should be supervised by Women’s Aid Belfast & Lisburn? (*1)

Who funds The Partnership’s Co-ordinator Role recruited by public advertisement in 2021?

How did members of The Partnership justify the direct sex discrimination criteria applied in relation to this Co-ordinator Role?

What advice have members of The Partnership requested or received from the Equality Commission NI in relation to recruitment and the application of genuine occupational requirements (GOQ’s)?

What role do the NIHE play in recruitment for roles working on behalf of The Partnership?

Why have The Partnership not responded to my correspondence about this matter (sent in January, February and June 2022)? (*2 )

Are the NIHE members of any of the other four Regional Domestic & Sexual Violence Partnerships?

Are the NIHE aware of any similar examples of directly discriminatory practices that may impact on any of the Regional Partnership's ability to create inclusive, collaborative multi-agency partnership working environments best equipped to generate positive action to eliminate abuse experienced across all Section 75 Groups? If so how are they justified?

---

Please be advised of the following information that may assist to expedite this freedom of information request:

(*1) Women’s Aid Belfast & Lisburn's governing documents appear to indicate that their exclusive objective is to support women and their children maltreated by men.

(*2 ) In June 2022, Women’s Aid Belfast & Lisburn replied to my correspondence directly confirming that their offices are a women only space.

(3) The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland have advised me that they are unable to determine if the Partnership’s reliance on a genuine occupational qualification (“GOQ”) is justified (based on the job information available for the Partnership’s Co-Ordinator Role).

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Yours faithfully,

Sally-Anne Burris