Silence marks Day Against Violence against Women

A minute's silence is being held outside the Dáil today to mark International Day Against Violence

against Women.

Women's Aid is holding the minute's silence in memory of the 107 women murdered in Ireland in the last 108 months.

While groups nationwide are holding vigils locally around the country, Women's Aid is marking the commemoration of the murders against the backdrop of a giant "In Memoriam" card outside the Dáil, with each murdered woman represented by a white lily.

Margaret Martin, Director of Women's Aid, said: "The seriousness of the levels of violence against women in Ireland today and the failure of the legal system to keep women safe cannot be over-emphasised and the tragic reality is that women are paying the ultimate price of their lives."

International Day Against Violence Against Women is the first day of the Global 16 Days of Action Against Violence against Women campaign, which ends on December 10, International Human Rights Day.