Danske Bank has become the first organisation in Northern Ireland to commit to "The Pledge," a specialist training and development programme designed to help end violence against women and girls (EVAWG) in the region.

"The Pledge" programme, offered to businesses and charities, focuses on addressing the root causes of violence against women and girls. It aims to achieve this by challenging misogyny, promoting gender equality, and equipping organisations with the necessary policies and processes to combat such violence.

Over the next 12 months, Nexus, the organisation delivering "The Pledge," is inviting 30 businesses, charities, or public sector organisations to participate. The goal is to empower these organisations with the knowledge and tools required to play an active role in ending violence against women and girls.

Nexus is implementing this specialist programme with support from The Executive Office’s Change Fund. This regional initiative enables eight organisations to deliver targeted interventions designed to prevent violence against women and girls, aligning with the Office’s Strategic Framework to End Violence against Women and Girls.

Jan Winton, Early Intervention and Prevention Services Manager at Nexus, welcomed Danske Bank's commitment. "Ending Violence Against Women and Girls is the responsibility of us all in society and the government strategy is a call to action for us all to play our part both personally and professionally to do what we can to challenge this very serious problem in Northern Ireland," she said. "I am delighted that such a high-profile organisation like Danske Bank have so passionately taken the pledge to end violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland. This demonstrates a real commitment to not only to their staff and colleagues that gender-based violence will not be tolerated but also contributes to the wider societal effort to drive transformational change that is needed to end violence against women and girls."

Aisling Press, Managing Director of Personal Banking and executive sponsor of Danske Bank’s Gender Diversity Network, underscored the bank's dedication. "Tackling the issue of violence against women and girls requires a society-wide approach, and businesses can play a role," she stated. "At Danske Bank we want to play our part in creating a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone across Northern Ireland. For us, signing the EVAWG Pledge is a mark of our ongoing commitment to help colleagues recognise and challenge inappropriate and harmful behaviours safely, to help and support colleagues and customers who may themselves be impacted, and to continuing our efforts to champion gender equality in the workplace and in society."