I am delighted to welcome each of you here today to the launch of the new national awareness campaign which has been developed as part of the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021.
Today is a very important day. It’s a day when Ireland makes a real and substantial step forward in its work to prevent and decrease incidences of domestic and sexual violence. Our national campaign is due to run for 6 years’ subject to the availability of the necessary funding.
The aim of this 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 recognises that women and men are victims of such crimes.
The first three years will focus on domestic violence to be followed by three years dealing with sexual violence but elements of each will feature in each phase of the campaign.
Funding of €950,000 will be provided this year and the same amount in 2017 for this ground-breaking campaign. Alongside this funding of €200,000 has been awarded under the Dormant Accounts Fund to localise the campaign in 2016 and 2017.
Following an EU tendering process Cawley Nea/TBWA and PHD were awarded the contracts to work with Cosc - the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence to develop and implement the campaign. I would like to congratulate both agencies on their work on this project. I have been very impressed by the high calibre of individuals that have worked on the campaign. I know that they have shown tremendous commitment and passion to make this campaign a success so it will have a positive impact in preventing and stopping domestic violence.
I am an admirer of Ben Cleary’s work and of his achievement in receiving an Oscar last year for his short film The Stutterer. Ben directed the TV ads and although he was unable to be here to-day he has recorded a message which we will view shortly.
This campaign is about prevention. It is about empowerment and it's about support. It is one of the key actions under the prevention pillar of the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender- based Violence. It offers hope and support to victims of such violence and it empowers us as witnesses to such violence to find out what we can do to help stop domestic violence and to support people who are caught up in this most devastating of human experiences.
“What would you do?” is a high impact media campaign to reach our audience nationally which will feature TV ads, national and local radio ads outdoor, digital and social advertising. We will play the TV ads and the national radio ads for you in a few minutes.
Following research carried out by the agencies it was found that people didn’t know what to do when they witnessed domestic abuse. This campaign is about equipping people with information and directs them to the campaign website to find more about domestic violence and how to help. Domestic violence is a pervasive problem in Ireland with 29 % of women and 26% of men suffering domestic abuse when severe abuse and minor incidents are combined. Furthermore, a Cosc study found that 70% of people consider domestic abuse to be a common problem in Ireland.
This campaign calls on us as relatives, friends neighbours, bystanders and witnesses to collectively say that this violence is not right and it must stop. The current campaign provides an opportunity for each of us to start a conversation about what we would do if we came across situations such as those in the TV and radio ads. One thing is sure. There is no prescribed right or wrong answer as to how you intervene. Each person and situation is different.
I would encourage each of us to find out more about what we should do so we can make an informed and responsible decision. I would like to caution that such help or intervention should only happen if it is safe and legal and if it doesn't put the victim at risk. One of the themes of the campaign is that this violence is happening behind closed doors. It will help to bring this violence out in the open if we discuss it among ourselves and show by example that we will not tolerate domestic violence.
We must endeavour to educate our society young and old, men and women and especially our children that all people deserve respect and dignity and should not be subject to violence of any kind.
It is my intention to underpin this education and awareness with strong legislation. The new Domestic Violence Bill is at an advanced stage of preparation and I hope to publish it shortly. The Bill will improve access to barring orders and provide for greater supports for victims in the court process in areas such as court accompaniment.
I will conclude by saying I am proud to launch the “What would you do?” campaign. I ask that we stand together as a society that says it will not tolerate, nor remain silent on domestic, sexual or gender-based violence against another person in our communities throughout Ireland.