Domestic violence is not a gender issue

THE Labour Party’s women and equality officer Kirsi Hanifin (Irish Examiner letters, January 20) takes me to task for stating (Letters, January 16) that domestic violence is not a gender issue.

Ms Hanifin’s stance is diametrically opposed to that of Erin Pizzey, who opened the first shelter for victims in London in 1971.

Ms Pizzey has written two books on the subject, Scream Quietly Or The Neighbours Will Hear, and Prone To Violence. She states unequivocally that domestic violence is not a gender issue.

There is a large body of Irish and international research which supports Ms Pizzey’s view. For example, last summer’s TCD study, the results of which were published in the European Journal of General Practice, once again illustrated that men are just as likely to be victims of domestic violence as women.

These results were consistent with the findings of all the other two-sex studies carried out in Ireland in the last 10 years. These studies were conducted by the National Crime Council, the Department of Health and the marriage and relationship advisory services MRCS and ACCORD.

If Ms Hanifin is correct in her assertion that domestic violence is a gendered phenomenon, we would expect lesbian relationships to be virtually free of the problem. This is not so, as evidenced by the books Violent Betrayal: Partner Abuse in Lesbian Relationships by Prof Claire Renzetti and No More Secrets: Violence in Lesbian Relationships by Janice Ristock.

Ms Hanifin says she agrees with me that “male-bashing is not what is needed”.

Why then is she demonising men so unfairly by placing the burden of blame for domestic violence on their shoulders?

Patrick McGinnity

Derrynoose

Keady

Co Armagh