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Nuala Fennell - Gender Stereotyping of Domestic Violence In Public Policy

  • 15-08-2009 11:55am
    #1
    CDfm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,649 ✭✭✭✭


    I was very struck this week by the the contrast between two Irish Publications dealing with Domestic Violence Issues

    Womens Way an established Irish Publication ran a piece "Men Can be Victims Too" stating that they believe that domestic violence is not a gender issue.
    [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]We believe that domestic abuse is not a gender issue, rather a social issue that impacts men, women and children. All domestic abuse victims are entitled to sympathy and equal access to services. Most of the recorded complaints of domestic violence are made by women but the failure of men to complain to the authorities doesn't mean they are not also victimised. Furthermore, if we all consider domestic abuse as something that exclusively happens to women, we cannot expect to fi nd real solutions to the problem for either gender. [/FONT]
    [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It is estimated that 15 per cent of women (one in seven) and six per cent of men (on in 16) have experienced severely abusive behaviour of a physical, sexual or emotional nature from a partner at some time in their lives.[/FONT]

    Contrast this with an irish Examiner piece on Nuala Fennells beliefs
    The importance of providing a safe place for women to escape domestic violence was paramount for the founding members. In its first four months, Women’s Aid accommodated 40 women and 135 children and provided help and support to more than 400 women.
    Speaking a few months after it was formed, Nuala hoped that "the Women’s Aid movement would expand to ensure a special place in all communities, city and country, for abused women and their children."

    Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/ryle-dwyer/the-determination-of-one-person-can-still-make-a-big-difference-98787.html#ixzz0OFOEN7SD

    Now I don't intend to criticise Nuala Fennell but she did have a huge influence on public policy on issues of domestic violence and gender as a TD , Government Minister and subsequently Political Lobbyist.

    The articles do highlight the need for change in how times have changed.


Comments

  • #2
    Terodil
    Closed Accounts Posts: 809 ✭✭✭Terodil


    Indeed, thanks for highlighting this CDfm.

    I also feel that the numbers quoted in the first article may be somewhat skewed -- it is reasonable to assume that the quota of reported cases is even lower for abused men than for abused women, because of the even more ridiculous social stigma connected with it.

    Sad state of affairs, that is.


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