Stop Violence Against Women

national | crime and justice | opinion/analysis

Friday November 24, 2006 19:14

by C Murray

Some stories- Please add to the list if you want.

Taking the lead from Indymedia Barcelona on this international stop Violence
against Women day :

http://barcelona.indymedia.org/feature/display/282986/i...x.php

The issue of violence was covered this morning in the Irish Times when
women who have been murdered were commerorated by Women's Aid:

http://www.womensaid.org
http://www.ireland.com

The 'Missing Women' roll-call story contains some links to the unsolved domestic
murders of women in this state which have occured over a number of years, as well
as the 'dissappeared women'- stretching back to the Annie Mc Carrick, Fiona Pender,
Fiona Sinnot cases.

There have been many recent deaths of young women in this state and the government has
consistently highlighted an unfeeling attitude to families of victims.

No -one yet has been brought to Justice for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.
There is a lack of money going into the provision of beds for woman and child victims
of domestic abuse situations.

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/78919

Not alone is it a day to commerorate victims of abuse and murder , but it is
the inaugural day of a two week campaign to encourage women to use the
resources available on the internet to advance knowledge of the experience
of being a woman in a cyber environment. To become aware that there
are small collectives of women around the globe attempting to increase
voice and access to the internet - in order to decrease isolation:

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/79838
http://takebackthetech.net

IMC global also provides a womyn's service and welcomes volunteers in
feminist outreach. ( I will put the link up later).

The women's list encourages women to gender-consciousness and a respect for
the differnce in women's approach to the internet . There are difficulties
inherent in the cyber-environment for women activists and writers which can include:
cyber-stalking, isolation, use of demeaning language, gender imbalance.

The lack of political conviction displayed by the the inactions on the issues
of violence against women can be seen in the low conviction rates for rape

http://www.drcc.ie

The non-national community has little support and agencies like DRCC and RAR
advocate for them in the absence of State-supports, specifically in relation to
language barriers and victims of trauma. There is no evidence of trauma
counsellors appointed to women on any of the Department of Justice Website.

The low-level in priority of womens issues and experiences can be accounted for
partly by the structures which are inherent in our political systems and the complete
gender imbalance in both the Present Government parties (less so in the 'Opposition').

*There has been no'radical' approach to solving the bed's crisis in the emrgency refuges.
*The Department of Justice does not appear to have appointed a woman's trauma
counsellor for victims of rape.
*The courts service does not provide a separate area for victims of sexual assault.
*Two sligo women had to travel to the sexual assault treatment unti at the Rotunda
hospital for treatment this last week.
*The missing person's help-line has gone.

Most women victims of violence are attacked by family members or people known to
them.

Its damning.