MLAs have gathered in front of Parliament Buildings at Stormont for a vigil in memory of Ashling Murphy.
Before the assembly resumed business following its recess, politicians from the main parties came together to remember the Co Offaly teacher who was murdered last week.
First Minister Paul Givan, Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood were among those in attendance.
They gathered in front of a portrait of Ms Murphy and a bunch of flowers.
Ms O'Neill said domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is an epidemic, as she paid tribute to the murdered teacher.
Addressing MLAs at Stormont, the Sinn Féin MLA said: "Ashling Murphy was 23.
"She was attacked and killed while out running in Tullamore, County Offaly.
"There are simply no words to convey the cruelty and injustice of what happened to Ashling, nor the heartbreak and sorrow of her loss.
"Our hearts go out to her family and all who loved her.
"Regretfully the truth is violence against women and girls, the threat of violence against women and girls, the fear of violence against women and girls is all too common.
"Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is an epidemic."
Ms O'Neill said there must be a zero-tolerance approach towards misogyny and sexism.
She told MLAs at Stormont: "If we are to break the cycle of male violence against women we need to develop an enforceable zero-tolerance approach towards misogyny and sexism while also exposing and challenging the everyday sexism that girls and women experience whether it be online, on the street or the workplace.
"Since Ashling's murder, countless women and girls across this island - myself included - will have been reflecting on our own safety as we go about our daily lives.
"Sadly, Ashling's murder is not an isolated incident. But it must be a watershed moment.
"How often do we hear that we are 'lucky' we weren't attacked? Because we had dared to walk a particular route, or be out at a certain time.
"Well, we aren't 'lucky'. We are angry.
"Because no woman or girl should ever have to face such disgusting attitudes, or the threat of abuse that destroys lives."
Ms O'Neill said anger across Ireland at the murder of Ashling Murphy must "now turn into determined action".
Addressing MLAs at Stormont she said: "Together we must stop violence against women and girls.
"Together we must say enough is enough; as we also remember many of the women, with Ashling, who were killed on this island during the pandemic years."
She then read a list of the names of 23 murdered women.
Paul Givan said men needed to step up to challenge abusive behaviour towards women and girls.
He told MLAs: "All of us have come together in the past number of days to show our revulsion for what has happened to Ashling Murphy and to stand in support of Ashling and her family.
"We are struck by the last words Ashling said to her mum, 'Mam, I love you', before she left.
"As a father of three daughters I know last night when I was in Lisburn and we held a vigil, I was thinking about them.
"I was thinking about the type of society that they are growing up in, and when they get to that age they should feel safe, they be respected, they should not be objectified.
"They should not have to suffer the kind of bad behaviour which often is directed at women and girls.
"We all must take personal responsibility to change our society.
"Men need to step up and challenge this type of behaviour."
Mr Givan said people across Ireland had come together as one community to share in grief over the murder.
He told MLAs: "We need to get to the root causes of the type of issues which go to the heart of the way people think.
"We have to shape government policy to put an end to this because too many people have suffered. Too many people have lost their lives.
"Unless we collectively make that change and give that targeted effort, we are going to come back to this, and we shouldn't.
"I am committed to doing all that I can to play my part in addressing these issues and challenging the type of behaviour that needs to change.
"Ashling gave so much for someone who has been killed at 23, she had already given so much, and had so much more to give.
"Whether it is in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, we have all come together as one community and we share in that grief."
SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon told MLAs that the murder represented an attack on all women.
She said: “We are gathered here today because another young woman, Ashling Murphy, has been murdered.
“In this modern world, the fact that women are not safe is terrifying.
“We must, as political leaders here across these islands, band together to end this violence.
“As a mother my heart is breaking for Ashling Murphy’s family.
“What makes this murder so frightening is the casual violence in broad daylight in an area busy with people out for exercise.
“This could have been any woman. So it represents an attack on every woman. If a young girl can’t go for a jog in the middle of the day in an area surrounded by people, then where can women feel safe?”
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson praised the display of unity at Stormont for the vigil for Ashling Murphy.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Ashling’s family,” he said.
“It was such a terrible tragedy in a beautiful part of the island and I think it has reminded all of us of the dangers, particularly that women face when they go out and that shouldn’t be the case.
“And I think if any good can come out of this tragic event, this tragic loss of life, it should be that we all redouble our efforts to make our streets and places safer for everyone, but most especially for women.
“It was good to see the unity there around that vigil of people standing together from different political backgrounds, making it very clear that we will not stand for this, and that we must ensure that the laws we pass here at Stormont are fit and suffice to offer the protection that people need.”
Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said there was a need for societal change.
“It was the most terrible murder,” he said.
“Sadly, this is all too often in our society today that our women and young girls no longer feel safe and there’s a real danger out there and we must address this real danger.
“It’s wonderful to see the outpouring of grief in regards to this terrible murder but that’s not good enough, it’s simply not good enough that a young woman can go out jogging in the middle of the day and be murdered in such a brutal way and that’s happening more and more. Maybe it doesn’t end up in a murder, but it’s certainly ending up in other crimes against women and young girls.
“We need to address this, society needs to address this, individuals need to address this and we don’t need to have more vigils.
“In fact, we need to have less vigils because if we have less vigils then there’s less women being murdered in our society and that’s what we need to address.”
