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NWC calls for violence against women to be housed under one Government Department

Published: Friday, December 10, 2021

The National Women’s Council (NWC) today called for an integrated approach to tackle men’s violence against women, with one Government Department having overall responsibility and accountability for tackling gender-based violence and delivering the supports that women desperately need.

The call was made today at the 16 Days of Action webinar addressed by Minister McEntee today, an event held by the National Observatory on Violence Against Women and Girls, which is chaired by NWC.

Orla O’Connor, Director of NWC said,

“Currently, our fragmented system and disjointed supports create a real barrier for women experiencing violence and abuse to report and seek help. We are calling on the Government to make transformative change to being truly victim and survivor centred. This means ensuring that violence against women is the responsibility of one Government Department, and ending the current disjoined approach where the Department of Justice is responsible for legislation and policy and Tusla is responsible for frontline services and their funding. The Government is facing a huge test of their commitment to ending violence against women.”

Orla O’Connor said,

“The majority of violence against women is hidden and not reported; the system acts as a barrier to continue to hold the perpetrator to account. It’s exhausting for women to fight through every process and it is not surprising that women often don’t pursue convictions. Perpetrators, predominately men, know this too and so the cycle continues. From the ground up, we need to see wrap around supports from the moment a woman comes forward to disclose abuse. This fundamentally requires action to ensure a cohesive Government strategy so we can create a society where violence against women is unacceptable and abhorrent to all of us.”

When: Friday December 10th, 9.30am-1.30pm, to mark the global 16 Days of Action to End Violence Against Women

Who: National Observatory on Violence Against Women, Chaired by the National Women’s Council (NWC)

Where: Register here for tickets

Speakers for this event include:

  • Orla O'Connor, NWC Director
  • Prof. Marceline Naudi, former President and member of GREVIO
  • Deputy Ivana Bacik 
  • Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne
  • Senator Eileen Flynn
  • Mary-Louise Lynch, Survivor and Founder of SiSi
  • Ursula Regan, Family Law Solicitor, Regan Solicitors
  • Professor Louise Crowley, UCC School of law 
  • Dr. Salome Mbugua, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commissioner

The event is funded by the European Parliament in Ireland and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage 

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For more information, please contact Sarah Clarkin, Communications and Social Media Coordinator, National Women’s Council, 086 8619087, sarahc@nwci.ie 

Notes to Editor: 

The National Observatory on Violence Against Women is an independent network of grassroots and national organisations that come together quarterly to monitor progress on violence against women in Ireland. It provides an important space for organisations to work for improved policies and service provision for prevention and support of women victims of male violence.  The Observatory was established in 2002 and is chaired and convened by the National Women’s Council (NWC). 

About NWC 

The National Women’s Council is the leading national representative organisation for women and women’s groups in Ireland, founded in 1973. We have over 190 member groups and a large and growing community of individual supporters.

The ambition of the National Women’s Council is an Ireland where every woman enjoys true equality and no woman is left behind. This ambition shapes and informs our work, and, with our living values, how we work. We are a movement-building organisation rooted in our membership, working on the whole island of Ireland. We are also part of the international movement to protect and advance women’s and girls’ rights. Our purpose is to lead action for the achievement of women’s and girls’ equality through mobilising, influencing, and building solidarity. Find out more on www.nwci.ie