To ask the Minister for Communities to outline the timeline for the development of the Gender Strategy, as set out in New Decade, New Approach.

Mr Lyons

The Department for Communities has led the development of a suite of social inclusion strategies, including a gender equality strategy, on behalf of the Executive. I have taken time to consider the work to date, alongside the unprecedented pressure on resources across Departments. Given the challenges that we face, I decided to move forward with reinvigorating the ongoing development of the social inclusion strategies on a phased basis. Work on the anti-poverty and disability strategies is ongoing, and details of the proposed next steps in developing the gender equality strategy will follow shortly. While the Department for Communities is leading on the development of the strategies, final decisions on their content, publication and implementation will be subject to Executive agreement and public consultation.

Mr Lyons

If the Member's question is to ask me for that timeline, I will say that I do not have it right now. As I said, I am taking those strategies forward on a phased basis. There has been a promise for many years that the anti-poverty strategy would be in place, and it is not. It is right that I take a phased approach, but I will, of course, update the House in due course.

Ms Forsythe

Does the Minister agree that some of the gender ideologies espoused by the Alliance Party may, in fact, be detrimental to women?

Mr Lyons

The Member, not for the first time, is absolutely right. I do not think that the Alliance Party actually cares about this issue. What it is most interested in is tipping its hat to the gender ideologies that she mentioned. When it comes to choosing between standing up for women or adherence to those gender ideologies, the Alliance Party will choose those gender ideologies every single time. Worse still, the Alliance Party cannot even define what a woman is never mind stand up for one.

Mr McNulty

Minister, of the clients who accessed community advice services during 2023-24, 58% were women. Will the gender equality strategy recognise the disproportionate impact on women of many cuts to benefits?

Mr Lyons

The whole point of the gender equality strategy is to make sure that people are protected where there is a difference in outcomes. It will be up to Departments to decide individual actions, and those will require Executive approval. The whole point of the gender equality strategy is to make sure that those issues can be addressed.

Mr Carroll

I urge the Minister not to engage in trans bashing. It is not a good look. As part of the gender equality strategy, has the Minister's Department discussed introducing a financial payment to help women to flee situations of domestic violence where they are at risk?

Mr Lyons

Of course we want to help those who are at risk, and that is work that the Housing Executive is taking forward. I take issue with the Member's first comment. It is easy for him to say that anytime anyone is critical of the gender ideology that he espouses, it is "trans bashing". It absolutely is not. We simply want to protect women. The policies that he espouses would actually harm women and put them in difficult and dangerous situations. He can throw whatever insults he wants at this side of the House, but we will continue to stand up for what is plainly and evidently the truth.

Some Members

Hear, hear.

Mr Gaston

Will the Minister take this opportunity to enlighten the Member who tabled the question for oral answer on how many genders there are?

Mr Lyons

There are two genders.

Some Members

Hear, hear.