WOMEN’S AID MAKE CALL TO ELECTION CANDIDATES
Violence against women is ‘not on the political radar in County Louth’ according to Women’s Aid Dundalk.
The local branch of Women’s Aid said that it was ‘ extremely concerning that candidates and political parties have not, to date, paid any significant attention to the crisis of violence against women in County Louth in General Election 2020.’
Launching #NoMoreExcuses2020, a national manifesto for ‘A Safe Ireland for All’, Services Manager, Ann Larkin said that it was difficult to understand ‘ how such an enormous issue, affecting so many women and children, could continue to be side-lined from political conversation.’
‘Despite the political inertia, research carried out by Behaviour & Attitudes in 2019 indicates that seven out of 10 people would be influenced in the way they would vote if a politician was to speak out against domestic violence.’
She said that in their lifetime, at least 1 in 3 women in Ireland will experience abuse by a male partner. Domestic homicides have outpaced gangland murders by almost two to one in the last three years.
‘In 2018, over 1,600 children lived in a refuge with their mothers. In the same year, there were 3,256 unmet requests for refuge because the services were full – that’s an average of nine requests that had to be refused every day.
For Women’s Aid Dundalk that reads, 41 women and 47 children lived in refuge and 303 requests for refuge couldn’t be met,’ said Ms. Larkin.
‘It’s extremely disappointing and worrying that this issue, which affects so many women and children in our own county, doesn’t seem to even feature as we head closer to the polls.’
‘But we continue to ignore this issue at our peril,’ she continued. ‘A significant root cause of violence in our society is the knock-on effect of the extensive violence that happens in our homes.’
‘We have seen all political parties commit to addressing endemic social problems like homelessness, the health crisis, and violence in the streets.
But, nobody is joining the dots, and acknowledging that actually, what we need to do first and foremost is make our homes safe and equal and end the gender-bias that feeds and excuses gender-based violence.’
The manifesto also calls for increased funding, capacity and training for ‘ the creaking and overloaded services, like Women’s Aid Dundalk that respond to women first.’
It also highlights an ‘intrinsic link’ between homelessness and domestic violence.
‘Domestic abuse is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children. Housing instability is four times more likely for women who have experienced domestic abuse and coercive control compared with women who have not been victimised,’ said the Women’s Aid Dundalk manager.
Statistics show that approximately one in four homeless women cite partner violence as a major contributor to their homelessness,
‘Over the coming days, Women’s Aid Dundalk will be encouraging local candidates to sign up to these policies so that they will be priorities in the new Programme for Government.’