The last decade has been shaped by the fight for equal rights by women, the LGBTQ+ and BAME communities, Gaeilgeoirí, and more.
Where there have been victories, they have by and large come from direct action and mass protest on the streets. Decriminalisation of abortion was won in 2019 after a sustained campaign for reproductive healthcare forced Westminster to intervene where Stormont had failed.
Likewise, equal marriage became a pressure valve that Stormont and Westminster could no longer ignore, with marches on the streets and lobbying forcing parties to change policies, field more progressive candidates, and ultimately change the law.
We also recognise that any victories won by Irish language speakers, which saw the Irish language forced onto the political agenda by mass protest, came after 12,000 activists took to the streets.
In the midst of the pandemic, BAME activists were targeted by Stormont legislation, enforced by the PSNI. Their protests called for an end to racial injustice but that is exactly what they faced. Their refusal to accept such treatment saw further protest, public support, and eventually, an apology from leading police. People Before Profit supported BAME activists in resisting the criminalisation of protest.
It is unlikely this progress would have been won without such activism. History shows us that we are rarely given rights by parliaments without demands and mass movements. Indeed, this is the way People Before Profit believe we can achieve the massive societal shift needed to deliver proper equality and an end to oppression.
However, we have a long way to go. Women and LGBTQ+ and BAME people have been failed by Stormont and continue to face barriers and inequalities in society.
People Before Profit advocates for:
- Urgent implementation of the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW) recommendations relating to sexual and reproductive health, rights, and services; including:
- Commissioning of abortion services locally, including telemedicine access to medical abortion.
- Age-appropriate, inclusive and scientifically accurate education on sexual and reproductive health.
- Increased funding for domestic abuse and rape crisis services.
- Urgent implementation of the LGBTQI+ Strategy Expert Advisory Panel recommendations across the health, education, and legal sectors, including self-ID for gender identity and accompanying funding for delivery.
- An end to local enforcement of Home Office Hostile Environment policies: no racist hard border in the Common Travel Area.
- Equal rights for asylum seekers and refugees: including but not limited to housing, welfare, working, and voting, and an end to the policy of “no recourse to public funds”.
- Fund the implementation of the Race Equality Strategy: collect and use ethnic monitoring data to allow public services to identify and respond to inequalities experienced by different social groups.
