Hundreds marched in Belfast and Derry on Saturday as part of Reclaim the Night, demanding safer streets for women and girls across Northern Ireland.
As part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, supported by Reclaim the Agenda, the Belfast march began at Writers Square and ended at Custom House Square.
The Reclaim the Night rally began in Leeds in 1977, protesting police advice for women to stay home after the Yorkshire Ripper murders.
In Belfast, events were held in the 1980s, and the campaign was revived a decade ago in response to rising sexual violence. It now addresses all forms of gender-based violence.
Tanya Kearns, founder of Safe Night NI, a campaign for safe, accessible, and inclusive spaces in Northern Ireland’s nightlife, was one of the key speakers at the Belfast event. As an advocate for changes in the law on drink spiking, she stressed that making it a criminal offence is more urgent than ever.
The activist, who has spoken of her own traumatic experience of having her drinks spiked, said the campaign has inspired her to create “real changes”.
“Reclaim the Night inspired me to focus on creating real changes in the night-time economy, so everyone can feel safe. I am very proud to stand alongside some of Northern Ireland’s most inspirational activists and use my voice to continue to highlight the dangers for marginalised communities in our night-time spaces,” she said.
At the Belfast rally, Dr Naomi Green, an academic and activist from the Belfast Islamic Centre, spoke out against growing online abuse and violence, describing it as “a threat to our very existence.”
She said: “Muslim women are often spoken about, rather than spoken to.
“We’re reduced to headlines and debates, our voices drowned out by those claiming to ‘save us’.
“Muslim women have been physically and verbally attacked in the streets, photos of Muslim women and families going about their day have been posted online, simply because of who we are, what we wear and what we believed to represent. It’s an attack, not just on our safety, but on our very existence in public spaces.”
Alexa Moore of the Rainbow Project said that LGBTQIA+ communities were particularly at risk from gender-based violence.
She added: “Misogyny and gender-based violence should have no place in our society, but unfortunately are all too common, with Northern Ireland being one the most dangerous places in Europe to be a woman. It’s about time that women, as well as LGBTQIA+ people, people of colour, disabled people, and all those who are subjected to higher levels of violence, are able to live free from violence and abuse.”
18-year-old Lauren Bond, president of the Secondary Students Union NI group, said many young women first experience sexism and harassment at school and called on the Stormont Executive to update sexual abuse education to tackle gender-based violence at its source.
At the same time, a rally which took place in Ebrington Square in Derry was attended by Mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr and featured speakers, including sexual assault survivor Chloe Wilson, who demanded tougher sentences for offenders.
Event organiser, Cassie Jane Buckley from the Foyle Women’s Information Network said: “This event wasn’t just about reclaiming physical spaces—it was about amplifying the voices of those who have been silenced, demanding accountability from our leaders, and showing that violence against women and girls is not just a women’s issue, but a community issue that affects us all.
“This is just the beginning—together, we will keep pushing for the safer, more equal future that every woman and girl deserves.”