Ms Orla O'Connor:

I thank the committee for giving me the opportunity to speak on domestic and sexual violence.

The National Women’s Council of Ireland is the leading national women’s membership organisation that seeks full equality between men and women. We represent over 180 member groups from a diversity of backgrounds, sectors and locations. The council chairs the observatory on violence against women, providing a space for our members and non-governmental organisations, NGOs, to work collectively to eliminate all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence and prostitution.

Violence against women is a violation of women’s core human rights and it impacts on all women and all of society. It has a devastating impact on women’s physical and mental health, as well as being an obstacle to women participating fully in economic, social, political or cultural life. We believe it is both a cause and consequence of women’s inequality. The council has submitted to the committee over 15 recommendations but I will focus on several.

The European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence recognises violence against women as a violation of women’s human rights and recognises state responsibility to prevent its occurrence, protect victims and punish perpetrators. In March 2012, at the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Ireland accepted the recommendation put forward by Austria at the universal periodic review to sign the convention. Ireland stated: “Ireland can accept in principle the terms of the convention.”

More than a year has elapsed since this announcement. The council is asking the Government to sign and ratify this convention as a matter of urgency. In December, the observatory on violence against women launched a new publication, Violence Against Women - An Issue of Gender, and, again, called on the Government to ratify the convention. Deputy Anne Ferris kindly agreed to speak at that launch. This is a core issue for our members who are highlighting this in a campaign.

The sexual abuse and violence in Ireland, SAVI, report was published in 2002. To develop clear comparative analysis, a SAVI II report is required to evaluate changes over the past decade and provide an evidence base to inform contemporary responses to the issue of sexual violence. The council calls for this research to be commissioned and resourced.

Over the past several years, as Ireland has experienced recession and austerity, front-line services to women experiencing domestic and sexual violence have experienced significant cuts. Now, as we are moving out of recession, it is important to prioritise crucial services and reinstate some of that funding. We have witnessed an unprecedented growth in demand for these services. It is a false economy to continue with those cuts. We call for an increase in funding to organisations providing front-line services and supports to survivors of violence against women to offset budgets cuts in recent years.

Domestic and sexual violence committed against already marginalised women is of great concern to the council. Within that, the requirement to satisfy the habitual residence condition has particular gender implications. The council recommends the habitual residence condition is amended to make an exception in cases of domestic violence against women, so that women can have ease of access to refuge and other support services.