by Alan Jacques
STIGMA is a huge deterrent for women seeking justice against violence.
That’s the view of Social Democrats General Election candidate for Limerick City, Sarah Jane Hennelly.
Ms Hennelly was among 50 people who attended a rally in the city last weekend calling for a change in the way we think about violence against women. The event was held as part of the ‘Purple Up Limerick’ awareness campaign.
In Ireland, one in five women experience domestic violence during their lifetime, and it is estimated that 213,000 women in Ireland are living with severe abuse from their boyfriends, husbands and partners.
Speaking to the Limerick Post, Sarah Jane commented, “For an issue so rarely spoken about – that is a huge number of women across this country suffering in their own homes.”
“Less than half of women who survive sexual violence actually report it. Stigma is a huge deterrent for women seeking justice. A public gathering of support for women in these situations is incredibly important in breaking down this stigma firstly; and secondly in highlighting the extreme need for services like Rape Crisis Mid-West and Adapt in our city,” she explained.
Tom Meagher, whose wife Jill was raped and murdered in Melbourne, Australia in 2012, also spoke at last Saturday’s event. He believes that part of the problem is defining violence.
“There seems to be no legal or social standard for how we understand violence, particularly in relationships. Violence is done psychologically, emotionally and financially as well as physically. Violence in relationships is about control and creating dependency,” he said.
