Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you for your kind invitation to launch the White Ribbon Campaign 2016. I am aware that the White Ribbon Day is next Friday the 25
th of November but it is most appropriate that this event take place today on International Men’s Day.
The White Ribbon Campaign promotes healthy relationships based on respect, gender equality and a compassionate vision of masculinity which benefits all society. It is one of the largest efforts in the world of men working to end men’s violence against women.
I welcome and support any initiatives that seek to educate, change and influence attitudes that perpetuate violence against women. I believe that society works best when men and women work together as partners to overcome social problems.
Violence against women is an evil that continues to plague our society. Its impact on victims is devastating. It remains hidden and under reported, and any figure we put forward will underestimate its impact on individuals and on our society.
Of course, the vast majority of men are not violent towards women. The problem is that these men may not view this issue as something that concerns them. Violence against women is an issue that is relevant to all men. All men have significant women in their lives - be they a friend, a sister, a mother, or a daughter – who could be a potential victim; and all men know other men who could be potential abusers.
This problem doesn’t stop with physical violence. Physical violence is easy to condemn and against which it is relatively easy to provide criminal sanctions. However, there is also emotional violence – from sexist jokes, to domineering behaviours, to cruelly undermining comments. These things require changes in attitudes.
It is essential that all society works to change attitudes and end violence against women now.
That is why this White Ribbon campaign is so important.
It is vital that society understands and accepts that violence against women is wrong and unacceptable. These campaigns work. They encourage men specifically, and society generally, to discuss and think about violence against women.
Raising the awareness of men and boys, actively working with schools, sporting organisations and other national organisations to educate, challenge attitudes and encourage ownership of this issue plays a very important role not only in preventing such violence from occurring, but also in breaking down the barriers to improvements in society.
The issue of violence against women is one that this Government is very concerned about and there is much work underway.
Last year Ireland signed the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, commonly referred to as the Istanbul Convention.
Signing the Convention reaffirms the commitment of the Government to foster a culture and to implement meaningful changes which can help reduce the incidence of such violence, better support victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
But signing the Convention is just one further step on a much more substantial journey. Government has approved an Action Plan for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Ireland. This outlines the steps required for Ireland to fully ratify the Istanbul Convention in due course.
The Government is also making progress in providing legislation to combat domestic and sexual violence.
The new Domestic Violence Bill, which is currently being finalised, will improve the protections available to victims of domestic violence, most critically for those victims in crisis situations and will also make the court process easier for victims of domestic violence.
Another significant development in the fight against sexual violence is the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences) Bill. The Bill will provide for new offences of purchasing, in the context of prostitution, sexual services. It also includes wide ranging provisions to enhance the protection of children and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse and exploitation.
The Government this year also approved a second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence for the period 2016-2021, which was published in January. The strategy, building on its predecessor, envisages a range of actions to be implemented by State, voluntary and community sector organisations. In addition to the important actions dealing with education and awareness raising, there are specific actions for the provision of services to victims of sexual violence and for holding the perpetrators of sexual violence to account. These actions will include timelines for their implementation.
One of the main elements of the new strategy is a national awareness campaign focussing on engaging with bystanders, raising awareness and changing societal attitudes. There is a dedicated website –
whatwouldyoudo.ie – which will inform bystanders of options available for them to intervene safely and legally. It also lists victim support services.
I was fortunate to be at the launch of the campaign
on Wednesday and I was struck by the commitment to localise the campaign using the experience of local service providers and activists. I understand that Alan is engaging with Cosc , the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, to assist with the localisation process using his experience of engaging with his White Ribbon partners and ambassadors. I gather that this willingness to support other initiatives in a generous and open way is typical of Alan. Such an approach is not universal by any means.
The new Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill will be published shortly by my Department. It will give effect to the EU Victims Directive which came into force on the 16
th of November last year and which is being implemented by the Criminal Justice Agencies. The Directive introduces for the first time statutory provisions for victims of crime. Administrative arrangements have been put in place by the criminal justice agencies to give effect to the provisions in the Directive pending the enactment of the legislation.
Victims’ voices will be heard. And the more victims are listened to, and supported, the less isolated they will feel and the stronger they will become.
The White Ribbon campaign has an important role to play by engaging with men around this important issue. It is heartening that more and more men want to make a difference – caring men, who want to support and put an end to the hurt in the lives of the women around them and I am proud to stand in their number.
Wearing a white ribbon is such a simple gesture that carries a powerful message. It is a message of support to women. It is a pledge that the wearer refuses to accept or remain silent about violence against women and that there is simply never an excuse for it.
In conclusion, thank you for the opportunity to be here today and to outline some of the initiatives this Government is taking in this important area. I would like to reiterate my continuing support for the invaluable work that the White Ribbon Campaign carries out in encouraging men to get involved in the issue, and not to condone or ignore violence against women.
I wish this campaign every success in achieving its objective of spreading such an important message.