4,910. That’s the number of extra phone calls Women’s Aid was able to answer, thanks to the extension of its now 24/7 helpline and additional opening hours. That is just a portion of the number of women living in fear, both for themselves and their children, in this country.
This statistic was just one revelation made at the launch of Women’s Aid’s Impact Report for 2016 – and it has made for chilling and concerning reading. In it, the organisation highlighted strong links between domestic violence and child abuse.
Director Margaret Martin described the living situation for thousands of women and their little ones as ‘heartbreaking’.
“As much as they can, women work hard to protect their children and to keep their children’s lives as safe, stable and normal as possible – despite the domestic violence,” she explained, at the report’s launch.
“This fear is heightened when women have to facilitate access to the children for the man who has been perpetrating domestic violence. A father’s right to access should not outweigh a child’s right to safety."
This fear is very real, and it is evidenced by the fact that the majority of women regard the quiet hours of the early morning, when everyone else is in bed, as the safest time to call Women’s Aid.
Margaret added that child protection and safety should, accordingly, be ‘prioritised in all custody and access proceedings’ – and anything less than this results in a total failure to women and children.
Now, the organisation is calling for greater recognition of the risk to children, particularly during access arrangements with the perpetrators of domestic violence. They are working incredibly hard to make this a reality, too, but they need as much help as they can rally.
“We are committed to being here for every woman who needs us, at any hour of the day or night. So far, we have been able to provide the extended service due to the generosity of the public and corporate donations," began Margaret.
“But this arrangement is not sustainable. We need the Government to fully resource the 24-hour National Helpline, to ensure our essential and trusted service survives.”
The Women’s Aid 24hr National Freephone Helpline 1800 341 900 is available 7 days a week. www.womensaid.ie.
