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
Funding of €950,000 for 2016 has been secured for this campaign
“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.