‘More action needed to fight domestic abuse’

ONE-IN-FIVE women is abused by her partner, yet the Government has done little to tackle domestic violence, Amnesty International has claimed.

Amnesty spokesman Jim Loughran said poster campaigns highlighting domestic abuse were pointless unless they were backed up by funding on the ground.

He said several Government departments, and not just the Department of Justice, had a role to play.

“Violence against women is a fundamental abuse of human rights and all too often all we have seen from the Government is a poster campaign which looks good but does not go far enough,” Mr Loughran said.

“The key is that there is a common policy that is fully resourced rather than pious statements about a plan for action.”

Mr Loughran said the Departments of Education, Social Affairs and Justice had to work hand-in-hand to protect women by providing more services.

He claimed the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre had to close its doors at times due to huge numbers of women seeking help. He also said Women’s Aid helplines were not able to handle the 15,000 or so calls they received each year.

Around 1,000 demonstrators are to march on Leinster House tomorrow, International Women’s Day, demanding “action not words” as part of Amnesty’s Stop Violence Against Women campaign.

Thousands of people around the country have put their names and messages on handprints as part of a visual petition to spur the Government into action.

Mr Loughran said violence against women occurred in 20% of dating couples, while 25% of all violent crimes reported involved a man assaulting his wife or partner, according to figures from the United States and the EU.

However, he warned campaigners to remember most men never harmed their partners and some fell victim to domestic violence themselves.

“Violence against anyone is a fundamental abuse of human rights, and the issue of domestic violence is not a woman’s issue, it’s an issue of human rights.”

A special beer mat has also been designed to encourage young drinkers in Dublin’s Temple Bar to recognise the high levels of abuse in the home.

Customers will be asked what they know about the levels of domestic attacks around the world and to text Amnesty for information on how to work against such crimes.

The Stop Violence Against Women festival runs in Dublin city centre until March 8.

Addresses by human rights defenders Ana Paula Hernandez from Mexico and Kongosi Mussanzi from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a diversity discussion forum will feature at the festival.