New fund has potential to be catalyst in ending violence against women

Sexual abuse survivor Charlene Masterson at the National Print Museum, Dublin, for the launch of a a proclamation to end violence against women in Ireland. Picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

Rethink Ireland and the National Women's Council have launched a new fund that has the potential to be a catalyst in helping to end the “epidemic” of violence against women in Ireland.

Launched on Tuesday, the Freedom From Fear Fund aims to support education and prevention programmes working with girls and boys as well as projects that address the structural causes of and protective factors and risks associated with violence against women.

In addition, it will help to support projects that are working to achieve systemic culture change and services for survivors of violence and their families.

Alongside the fund, a proclamation to end violence against women in Ireland was also launched, with a live printing of the document at the National Print Museum in Dublin.

The proclamation is based on the UN and Council of Europe’s Conventions, signed by Ireland, which enshrine the rights of women to live with freedom from fear.

In a powerful testimony at the launch, sexual abuse survivor Charlene Masterson said speaking out about her own experience initially was “horrendous” and "so daunting".

“I began to have doubts before I even started. I felt physically ill as the memories came flooding back. It was a very painful and long process,” she said.

However, Ms Masterson said she no longer feels “shame or fear when speaking out about these experiences”.

After her journey through abuse, a life goal for her now is to develop school programmes to help raise awareness and teach children of all ages the signs of abuse.

“I want to develop these programmes to help people realise when they’re in an abusive situation, but also to help people identify the signs of an abuse victim so they may spot it in other people who are possibly suffering."

The live printing of the proclamation to end violence against women in Ireland at the National Print Museum in Dublin. Picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

Orla O’Connor, director of the National Women’s Council, described violence against women as “an epidemic in Ireland” that has a "devastating" impact on the lives of women, girls, their families, and communities.

We are at a critical moment where people want to see change happening. 

"A national conversation has started on how we protect women from men’s violence but crucially, how we prevent gender-based violence from occurring in the first place,” Ms O’Connor added.

She welcomed the opportunity to partner with Rethink Ireland and to provide expertise in the establishment of the fund, which business leaders and philanthropists are encouraged to contribute to.

“This fund has the potential to be a catalyst in creating a zero-tolerance culture towards misogyny and sexism that permeates our society and creates the context in which gender-based violence occurs," Ms O'Connor said.

The fund has an initial target of raising €100,000. To find out more about the Freedom From Fear Fund, visit www.rethinkireland.ie.