A conference is to take place at the Lough Erne Resort in Co Fermanagh next month in an effort to support local people to recognise signs of domestic and sexual abuse.
The expert-led conference is being organised by Fermanagh Women’s Aid amid recent increased awareness of violence against women in the UK and Ireland.
The local group says it currently helps around 350 women per year, but only around one third of those cases are reported to the PSNI.
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Kerrie Flood, Development Manager at Fermanagh Women’s Aid, said recent cases where women have been murdered in the UK and Ireland have prompted them to take action to increase awareness locally.
“Over recent years we have really started to call it what it is - the killing of women, very often at the hands of men and especially their partners," Kerrie told Belfast Live.
“It is femicide - our hearts break every time we hear of a woman being found dead, leaving behind lives, friends, families and communities.
“We have to try and amplify the voices of these victims.
“There is a lot of police interest in this issue but it only accounts for a third of these incidents.
“We still haven’t fully got a grasp of why and how this has spread, it’s an epidemic that we haven’t fully addressed.”
The two day event, which will take place on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 March, will feature renowned speakers and victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
“With this event we wanted to look at the worst case scenario, our fear is always the worst outcome, when a life is taken," she said.
“Hosting this event in Fermanagh, we want to show people across the island how to identify any signs of abuse and save the lives of women.
“We sought out some international experts in the field and we have a good mix of strong academic research and real lived experience.
“Every time a woman’s life is taken we are horrified and outraged by it, but we need to more to actually stop it from happening - that’s what we all want.”
The ‘Where The Blame Lies’ conference will take place on 7 and 8 March in the Lough Erne Resoort in Enniskillen, and tickets can be purchased here.
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