Ø Tánaiste announces the awarding of contracts for a national
awareness campaign as part of the Second National Strategy on
Domestic, Sexual and Gender based Violence 2016-2021
Ø Funding of €950,000 for 2016 has been secured for this campaign
Ø “The protection of people in our society from domestic and sexual
violence is a primary concern for me and my Department. The
intention is that the campaign will send a clear and unequivocal
message to perpetrators that this violence is totally unacceptable
in Ireland and that it must stop” - Tánaiste.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality Frances Fitzgerald T.D.,
has today announced the awarding of contracts following an EU tendering
process for a national awareness campaign allied to the Second National
Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021. The
successful creative agency is Cawley Nea\TBWA and the successful media
buying agency is PHD. The agencies will work with Cosc - the National
Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence to
develop and implement the campaign.
Speaking on the campaign the Tánaiste said “My aspiration for this public
awareness campaign is that it will educate all of us. As relatives,
friends, neighbours and bystanders, we have an important role in helping to
prevent domestic and sexual violence and that our intervention, if it is
safe to do so, will significantly impact those affected by this intolerable
violence by offering hope and support. The intention is that the campaign
will send a clear and unequivocal message to perpetrators that this
violence is totally unacceptable in Ireland and that it must stop”.
The Tánaiste secured funding of €950,000 for 2016 for the new national
awareness campaign. The new campaign is one of the key actions of the
Strategy. In addition funding of €200,000 has been awarded under the
Dormant Accounts Fund to localise the campaign in 2016 and 2017.
The overall aim of the campaign is to increase the awareness of domestic
and sexual violence, to bring about a change in long established societal
behaviours and attitudes and to activate bystanders with the aim of
decreasing and preventing this violence. It will recognise that women and
men are victims of such crimes. The campaign was sought by and is supported
by NGO stakeholders.
“The protection of people in our society from domestic and sexual violence
is a primary concern for me and my Department. Domestic and sexual
violence are pernicious evils that occur in all social classes, all
genders, all ethnic groups and cultures and among people of every
educational background. It is often hidden and can have a devastating
physical, emotional and financial consequences for victims as well as
society as a whole.” the Tánaiste said.
Welcoming the awarding of contracts for the campaign the Tánaiste said :
“I congratulate the successful agencies Cawley Nea\TBWA and PHD who have
been awarded the contracts to provide the creative and media services for
this challenging brief.
Deirdre Waldron, CEO of Cawley Nea\TBWA said:
“We are privileged to have been awarded the creative agency contract. We
believe this campaign is of paramount importance to our society and will
mark a national shift in attitudes towards domestic, sexual and
gender-based violence. We look forward to working with Cosc and the
Department of Justice and Equality in the coming years to help create a
safer Ireland for all”.
Jason Nebenzahl, Managing Director of PHD said:
“PHD are proud of all the work that we deliver, but if our campaign on
behalf of Cosc results in the national impact that we anticipate it will,
this will be one of our greatest ever achievements as an agency. We are
grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with the team at Cosc
and the other partner agencies to develop engaging and impactful
communication that will resonate with the Irish public and lead to
recognised behavioural change.”
The campaign will commence in the last quarter of 2016 and it is intended
that it will run for a period of 6 years up to 2021.
ENDS
Note for Editors
In previous years Cosc has run an awareness raising grant scheme relating
to domestic and sexual violence. In the region of €300,000 was allocated
annually to NGOs to run national and local projects.
In 2009 Cosc ran a national public awareness raising campaign on domestic
and sexual violence entitled 'YOUR SILENCE FEEDS THE VIOLENCE' which has
continued online and by the display of A4 posters in public places..
A Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) was published on e-Tenders on 7
April 2016 and through the Official Journal of the European Union
inviting applications for two Lots: Lot 1
- Strategic and Creative Advertising Services and Lot 2 - Media Planning
and Buying Services for the provision of a National Awareness Campaign
allied to the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based
Violence 2016 -2021. Shortlisted candidates were invited to submit a
request for tender before the deadline of 1 July 2016.
The duration of the national awareness campaign is for 6 years up to 2021,
subject to the availability of the necessary funding.
The Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
2016-2021 and Action Plan is available at www.cosc.ie.
Statistics on domestic violence:
The findings of the National Crime Council’s National Study of Domestic
Abuse by Watsons and Parsons, (2005) show that:
§ 15 per cent of women and 6 per cent of men have experienced severely
abusive behaviour from a partner.
§ 29 per cent of women and 26 per cent of men suffer domestic abuse
when severe abuse and minor incidents are combined.
§ In the region of 213,000 women and 88,000 men in Ireland have been
severely abused by a partner at some point in their lives.
The findings of the Cosc survey of Attitudes to Domestic Abuse in Ireland
by Horgan et al, (2008) show that:
§ Just over 70 per cent of people consider domestic abuse to be a
common problem in Ireland.
§ 44 per cent of people know somebody who personally had been a victim
of domestic abuse.
§ 94 per cent of people would help a friend, 65 per cent would help a
stranger and 38 per cent would help a neighbour being subjected to
domestic abuse.
Statistics on Sexual Violence:
The findings of the Rape and Justice in Ireland report by Hanly et al
(2009) show that:
§ Over two-thirds of incidents of rape occurred in houses, with the
victims’ own home being the single most common location.
§ One-third of the rapes were committed by strangers, 39 per cent by
friends or acquaintances and 18 per cent by current or previous
intimate partners. All told, two-thirds of the participants were
raped by someone known to them.
The findings of the Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland survey by McGee et
al (2002) show that:
§ 20 per cent of girls and 16 per cent boys in Ireland experience
contact sexual abuse in childhood.
§ 42 per cent of women and 28 per cent of men experienced some form of
sexual abuse or assault in their lifetime.
§ 24 per cent of perpetrators of sexual violence against adult women
are partners or former partners.