The 16 Days Campaign.

Nevyn · 04-12-2008 10:38am #1

Are any of you ladies aware of the The 16 Days Campaign ?

WHAT IS THE 16 DAY CAMPAIGN?
The 16 Days Campaign is an international campaign started in 1991 by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership in New Jersey. Since then, over 2,000 organisations in 154 countries have taken part. In Ireland, the 16 Days Campaign continues to gather momentum since the first Women's Aid public action outside Dáil Éireann in November 1996.

DATES
The dates, 25th November (International Day Opposing Violence Against Women) and 10th December (International Human Rights Day) symbolically link violence against women and human rights to show that such violence is a violation of a woman's human rights.

There are various events running all over the country you can find out what is going on near you here http://ireland16days.blogspot.com

THE 'HOME TRUTHS' ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN IRELAND
- 1 in 5 Irish women have experienced domestic violence.
- In 2007, the Women’s Aid National Helpline responded to almost 12,000 calls. There were 8,012 incidents of emotional abuse, 2,457 incidents of physical abuse and 1,408 incidents of economic abuse disclosed. In the same year, 593 incidents of sexual abuse were disclosed to Helpline support workers including 248 rapes.
- Since 1996, 146 women have been murdered in Ireland. 92(63%) of these women were murdered in their own homes. Of all of the resolved cases 50% were murdered by a partner or ex-partner.
- 1 in 4 perpetrators of sexual violence against adult women are partners or former partners.
- 1 in 8 women surveyed in a Dublin maternity hospital had experienced domestic violence while they were pregnant.

For more statistics sign up to the Women's Aid '16 Facts for 16 Days' Email Campaign which runs each day from 25th November to 10th December. Email comms@womensaid.ie

6th · 04-12-2008 10:51am

Hey, just thought I'd do up a sig based on your own Thaedydal in case anyone else wants to put one up. Made it fit to the rules so the nasty sigpo dont get you

Nevyn · 04-12-2008 11:03am

Thank you 6th, much appreciated.

belfastbelle · 04-12-2008 1:46pm

Hi there, this is a great campaign and thanks for highlighting it. It is such an important issue and it is great to see all of the different events - big and small - happening from Donegal to Dublin and to Kerry! I don't know if you have seen them, but there were a few posts over on the personal issues forum on this very topic. As well as raising awareness on the issue with the general public hopefully the message reaches women who are experiencing this type of pain and abuse.

I picked up a copy of the Women's Aid 'Love Hearts' postcard in Cafe Bar Deli last week and I thought is was a really good way of highlight the emotional side of domestic violence - the name calling, the threats, the fear.

Thanks for posting the link, I'll certainly be supporting it.

Nevyn · 04-12-2008 3:22pm

It's the posts in PI which had me go and post up the info as I was looking for stats to reply to one of the threads.

cuckoo · 05-12-2008 3:10am

Thaedydal wrote: »

It's the posts in PI which had me go and post up the info as I was looking for stats to reply to one of the threads.

Reading some of those threads is upsetting - it's good to be reminded of all the fantastic work that (under funded) organisations like Woman's Aid are doing.

Elle Victorine · 05-12-2008 3:13am

1 in 8 suffer domestic violence when pregnant? That's just insane!!!

Nevyn · 05-12-2008 3:20am

Due thier partner not wanting to be pregnant and hitting them in hope of causing a miscarrige or feeling that she got preggers to trap them or punish them or that now she is pregnant she won't leave and no one else will want her so they can do as they please to her

All the staff in all maternity hospitals are trained to look for the signs.

tallaght01 · 05-12-2008 8:38am

Elle Victorine wrote: »

1 in 8 suffer domestic violence when pregnant? That's just insane!!!

But how do they define domestic violence? I hate the overexaggerating of numbers. People look at those figures and assume they're not true. Maybe they are, but I'd be interested to see their data collection techniques.

It's like how we keep getting told in hospitals that one in 2 of us gets assualted every year. They count someone raising their voice to us as "assault". IN that case, I get assaulted most days. But only one person has ever laid a hand on me in work to try and do me harm.

The important thing about violence directed towards women is to get proper reliable reproducible stats about how often it's actually happening, where and when it's happening, and why it's happening.

The only data I have seen for Ireland showed about 3% of women suffereing domestic violence (whether physical or emotional) during pregnancy. That is A) more in line with other countries and

3% too much.

If they're including couples having a row as "assault", then it's just insulting to women who are actually being beaten, or abused mentally.

Having worked in maternity services for many years in some very poor areas (whwere rates are, sadly, higher), I'd be amazed if 1 in 8 women actually experience physical violence during pregnancy. Having said that, it's been a good few years since I worked in mat services in ireland, so i could be wrong.

belfastbelle · 05-12-2008 12:56pm

I've heard that statistics before - it comes from a study carried out in the Rotunda Hospital.

I very much believe it and a case is going through the courts, which highlights this type of abuse - from today's Irish Times:

Man tried for rape and imprisonment
A Co Clare man has gone on trial accused of falsely imprisoning his former partner, who was pregnant, for seven hours during which he allegedly raped her, threatened to kill her and hit her in the face with a shotgun.
The man has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to six charges arising out of the incident in her home in September 2007. He has pleaded guilty to one charge of assault causing her harm.
The hearing continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury.

I also think it is worth pointing out that it is very well established that domestic violence can affect any woman regardless of socio-economic status. So it is not confined or higher in 'poor areas'. It might be more visible but not more likely to occur.

LolaLuv · 05-12-2008 6:07pm

Thaed, what's the code so I can add that graphic to my sig?

Nevyn · 05-12-2008 6:08pm

[noparse]

[/noparse]

LolaLuv · 05-12-2008 6:12pm

Thanks!

panda100 · 05-12-2008 9:28pm

I have one criticism of the campaign and the general approach to anti- domestic violence groups. The work women's aid does is fantastic in providing much needed support to victims of domestic violence and I dont wish to diminsh their work.

However, is this 'campaign' really tackling the problems behind domestic violence?
Yes, we all know domestic violence is an issue but I fail to see what statistic upon statistics is going to do to solve the problem.

I have to admit that I feel nothing but sympathy and pity for those people who feel the only way to vent their frustrations is to hit their patner. I find often we can be quick to judge and vehmently put down those who beat their wives,or to a much smaller extent, husbands.
Nobody is ever born a wife beater. Some people have had it engrained in them from a young age when they see their father hitting their mothers, some are just so frustrated at the pressure's of modern living that its the only way they can feel in control in a socety that often makes us feel so powerless and lost.

Already in the US as the recession starts to bite there has been a sharp increase in the number of women turing up at womens shelters with broken arms and black eyes. I think we have to ask ourselves why is this? Why does domestic violence exist and get to the root causes. I think that sort of thinking would be a lot more effective that 16 days of depressing statistics that really, under the current system, none of us can do anything to stop.

Spyral · 05-12-2008 9:50pm

tallaght01 wrote: »

But how do they define domestic violence? I hate the overaggerating of numbers. People look at those figures and assume they're not true. Maybe they are, but I'd be interested to see their data collection techniques.

The important thing about violence directed towards women is to get proper reliable reproducible stats about how often it's actually happening, where and when it's happening, and why it's happening.

The only data I have seen for Ireland showed about 3% of women suffereing domestic violence (whether physical or emotional) during pregnancy. That is A) more in line with other countries and 3% too much.

If they're including couples having a row as "assault", then it's just insulting to women who are actually being beaten, or abused mentally.

I agree, it depends what is defined as assault, are these things corroborated? How are they gathered if the women don't report it to the police?
In addition more men die from violence than women but no one passed any remarks. In addition there are many womens groups, but few men's groups. In drogheda for example in Louth, there is a very high suicide rate. There are at least 7 womens group in the town but I don't think there is an AMEN group.

If shouting is an 'assault' and the women shouts back is that an 'assault' back? In addition according to AMEN , "Battered men: almost 40% of domestic violence victims each year." How does that fit with the 1 in 5 women. If 1 in 5 is just over 60% then 40% should equate to 1 in 6.3 men are victims of domestic violence each year.

Peoplesseem to forget that men die younger than women, that men are more liable to commit suicide, that there is more research into womens health issues as opposed to men's health issues.

I suppose what I would like to know is why isn't it a campaign against domestic violence altogether as opposed to a biased anti male campaign?

Hellm0 · 05-12-2008 10:01pm

"Centre for Women's Global Leadership"

Far from a misogynist I am but does the name of this organization strike anyone else as slightly...odd?

"The Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL) develops and facilitates women's leadership"

Hmm...

"The Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL) was founded as a project of Douglass College in 1989 and is a unit of the Institute for Women's Leadership (IWL)—a consortium of seven women's programs at Rutgers University created to study and promote how and why women lead, and to develop programs that prepare women of all ages to lead effectively."

Again...odd

"CWGL's programs promote the leadership of women and advance feminist perspectives in policy-making processes in local, national and international arenas."

I for one welcome our new radically feminist master!

Interesting question as to the validity of the statistics proposed by this group.

cuckoo · 06-12-2008 12:10am

panda100 wrote: »

Already in the US as the recession starts to bite there has been a sharp increase in the number of women turing up at womens shelters with broken arms and black eyes. I think we have to ask ourselves why is this? Why does domestic violence exist and get to the root causes. I think that sort of thinking would be a lot more effective that 16 days of depressing statistics that really, under the current system, none of us can do anything to stop.

I think the statistics provoke discussions like the one on this thread. They are a depressing set of factoids and numbers - but they make me stop, pause and go 'huh? what the...what's going on....why?'.

Any sociologically minded people know reading this know the 'why'? Why is it that stresses like the effects of a recession lead people to hurt each other? And, i really don't think this one can be blamed on the banks...

Spyral wrote: »

I suppose what I would like to know is why isn't it a campaign against domestic violence altogether as opposed to a biased anti male campaign?

I don't see it as a biased 'anti male' campaign. The drink driving campaigns aren't 'anti-driver' - they're 'anti-drivers-who-drink-and-drive'. The 16 Days Campaign is focusing on the violence and abuse experienced by women and children, because it's like triage in the accident and emergency dept - it's the most pressing need.

Really, there's no way at all that this could be viewed as an 'anti male' campaign, unless there is something intrinsic and inescapably male about abusing women, which would be an insult to the majority of men who do not (and would not) commit domestic violence and abuse.

tallaght01 · 06-12-2008 11:05am

Anyone is entitled to set up a lobby group for whatever reason they choose. I have no problems with groups defending the interests of women. it's up to men to set up groups defending our interestes, but we don't.

I think the real harm is the potential to "cry wolf" with stats. You can desensitise people by overaggerating with stats.

It probably is more important to deal with women's issue in terms of domestic violence, as most research from overseas suggests women and kids are the ones who get badly hurt.

I'm not sure lobby groups should be the ones tackling the causes of these peoblems, panda. There's very little they could do. my understanding of how lobbying works is that they bring issues to the attention of the authorities, and push them to do something about it. That's why it's important to be accurate about your stats. You need people in power to take you seriously, as there are so many lobby groups overexaggerating their claims. I'm not sure what a feminist group could do to, say, reduce poverty,or the other risk factors for violence in the home.

Poverty is one of the risk factors for domestic abuse. I know someone said previously that it's not, but it is.

In fact, tackling poverty would have a huge impact on violence aswell as health and a lot of other issues.

What would also be useful would be some PROPER research in Ireland, too. It's been about 10 years since our last decent study. Another big study would be useful to compare the intervention strategies of the last decade.

Permabear · 06-12-2008 12:30pm

This post has been deleted.

Spyral · 06-12-2008 4:56pm

The drink driving campaigns aren't 'anti-driver' - they're 'anti-drivers-who-drink-and-drive'. The 16 Days Campaign is focusing on the violence and abuse experienced by women and children, because it's like triage in the accident and emergency dept - it's the most pressing need.

Really, there's no way at all that this could be viewed as an 'anti male' campaign, unless there is something intrinsic and inescapably male about abusing women, which would be an insult to the majority of men who do not (and would not) commit domestic violence and abuse.

Most pressing need ? Even if (according to AMEN who could be equally biased of course) 40% of men suffer domestic abuse ? Then surely the most pressing need is to address the issue of violence rather than the gender.

In regards to anti male the stats tell us that most of it 90% is caused by men, and often that man is the womans husband or partner. In addition have you ever seen a drink driving ad in this country where the perpetrator was female ? What about the 'slow down boys' ad ? This are highly anti-male as research shows that while men tend speed more [causing nasty accidents I do agree] they are better drivers when it comes to maneuvering and have higher spacial awareness than women.

cuckoo · 06-12-2008 6:23pm

Spyral wrote: »

Most pressing need ? Even if (according to AMEN who could be equally biased of course) 40% of men suffer domestic abuse ? Then surely the most pressing need is to address the issue of violence rather than the gender.

In regards to anti male the stats tell us that most of it 90% is caused by men, and often that man is the womans husband or partner. In addition have you ever seen a drink driving ad in this country where the perpetrator was female ? What about the 'slow down boys' ad ? This are highly anti-male as research shows that while men tend speed more [causing nasty accidents I do agree] they are better drivers when it comes to maneuvering and have higher spacial awareness than women.

More women die at the hands of their male partners than men die at the hands of their female partners.

More men die on the roads as a result of their own driving than women.

I really don't think that domestic violence or drive safe campaigns are anti-male. These campaigns have limited resources, and are choosing to direct them where the need is the greatest.

Is the US hunt for Osama Bin Laden anti-male? He's a man, and they're looking for him.
(o/topic: is bin laden the new hitler for a godwin's law for our ages?)

Mikel · 06-12-2008 8:55pm

These threads are like Groundhog Day. Someone quotes a statistic of 1 in 3/4/5 from Women's Aid/Amnesty etc and in every case I can remember once you look into the detail the statistics or the methodology are dodgy.
I believe you will never eradicate the very serious problem, simply because as I seem to remember saying on a previous thread like this, that is not the goal of the Women's lobby group of the day. They will claim it is but I think they are more interested in posturing and holding sanctimonious vigils outside Dail Eireann.
Think about what they do, they drag up any dodgy study that backs up their claims. But they are easily discredited, which undermines their campaign from the outset.
This allied with the fact that to most people the idea that 1 in 4 women have been sexually assaulted does not ring true means they will treat the cause with suspicion.
Honestly, my gut reaction to this kind of thing is to think that if you entertain the issue as they present it means that I could easily find myself on the wrong end of a charge sheet for this offence.
I feel that the shock statistic is more important to them than solving the problem.

To the poster that asked why there hasn't been a study done in the last 10 years, that's a good question. But I don't think they want a study done because it wouldn't back up their claims.
The last major one done in the UK for example didn't fit in with what they wanted so from time to time they will quote from poorly designed surveys which do back them up

GirlInterrupted · 06-12-2008 10:23pm

tallaght01 wrote: »

But how do they define domestic violence? I hate the overexaggerating of numbers. People look at those figures and assume they're not true. Maybe they are, but I'd be interested to see their data collection techniques.

It's like how we keep getting told in hospitals that one in 2 of us gets assualted every year. They count someone raising their voice to us as "assault". IN that case, I get assaulted most days. But only one person has ever laid a hand on me in work to try and do me harm.

The important thing about violence directed towards women is to get proper reliable reproducible stats about how often it's actually happening, where and when it's happening, and why it's happening.

The only data I have seen for Ireland showed about 3% of women suffereing domestic violence (whether physical or emotional) during pregnancy. That is A) more in line with other countries and 3% too much.

If they're including couples having a row as "assault", then it's just insulting to women who are actually being beaten, or abused mentally.

Having worked in maternity services for many years in some very poor areas (whwere rates are, sadly, higher), I'd be amazed if 1 in 8 women actually experience physical violence during pregnancy. Having said that, it's been a good few years since I worked in mat services in ireland, so i could be wrong.

At one point, when I actually volunteered in a shelter, one of the criteria for defining abuse was ''being denied the use of the family car''.

There are degrees of abuse, as in most things, and while I'm certain that in the majority of stated cases of abuse that that is indeed the case, a singular definition must be appropriated before abuse is confirmed.

johnnyskeleton · 06-12-2008 11:01pm

panda100 wrote:

However, is this 'campaign' really tackling the problems behind domestic violence?
Yes, we all know domestic violence is an issue but I fail to see what statistic upon statistics is going to do to solve the problem.

Spyral wrote: »

I suppose what I would like to know is why isn't it a campaign against domestic violence altogether as opposed to a biased anti male campaign?

I agree with both of these comments. The issues raised by the OP:

- domestic violence.
- emotional abuse, physical abuse, economic abuse(?) and sexual abuse.
- murder

are not limited to women. Claiming this is a women's only issue and, more importantly, providing statistics that relate to women only seems like the campaign of a man-hater rather than someone who actually cares about domestic violence, sexual abuse and homicide.

Why not a Human Rights campaign simpliciter? Why not a campaign against violence simpliciter?

I think the reason why is because the female orientated campaign allows women to paint men as the sole perpetrators of domestic violence (and murder!), which is simply not the case.

Jules · 06-12-2008 11:07pm

This is a forum directed mainly at women and will there for have more threads concerning matters that affect women. Yes they may affect other genders/social groups/races.. whatever but again, THIS IS A FORUM DIRECTLY MAINLY AT WOMEN.

tallaght01 · 07-12-2008 5:52am

Jules wrote: »

This is a forum directed mainly at women and will there for have more threads concerning matters that affect women. Yes they may affect other genders/social groups/races.. whatever but again, THIS IS A FORUM DIRECTLY MAINLY AT WOMEN.

I think the point being made, though, is that by removing half the population (the sadly but truly more politically powerful half of the population) from the solution, you are doing a disservice to the women affected by the domestic violence.

cuckoo · 07-12-2008 6:57am

tallaght01 wrote: »

I think the point being made, though, is that by removing half the population (the sadly but truly more politically powerful half of the population) from the solution, you are doing a disservice to the women affected by the domestic violence.

I don't understand how men are removed from the solution.

I'm just really confused by the responses here from some posters about this campaign, I know picking apart stats is the closest thing to a national sport that boards.ie has, but i'm still bemused by this.

How can campaigning against domestic violence, and abuse, not be a Good Thing?

tallaght01 · 07-12-2008 1:24pm

cuckoo wrote: »

I don't understand how men are removed from the solution.

I'm just really confused by the responses here from some posters about this campaign, I know picking apart stats is the closest thing to a national sport that boards.ie has, but i'm still bemused by this.

How can campaigning against domestic violence, and abuse, not be a Good Thing?

It's a good (great, even) thing when
A) It's all inclusive
and

The stats can be taken seriously by those who might have the power to do something about it

Rehashing old, dubious stats is not the way forward.

Also, I wasn't saying that this particular campaign removes men from the solution, I was just trying to represent the point others were making, and rebutting the fact that a womens forum should be buiased towards women in terms of domestic violence. I personally think that the solution is all inclusive.

Mikel · 07-12-2008 6:09pm

cuckoo wrote: »

How can campaigning against domestic violence, and abuse, not be a Good Thing?

That would be a Good Thing, but that never seems to be the point

metrovelvet · 07-12-2008 8:09pm

GirlInterrupted wrote: »

At one point, when I actually volunteered in a shelter, one of the criteria for defining abuse was ''being denied the use of the family car''.

There are degrees of abuse, as in most things, and while I'm certain that in the majority of stated cases of abuse that that is indeed the case, a singular definition must be appropriated before abuse is confirmed.

I dont know where you were volunteering but I can see in certain instances where being denied use of the car would be an abusive power trip. Lets say you live, as many do, in plaaces with no public transport. How are you supposed to get food for yourself and your children without the car? How are you supposed to leave someone abusive with no way to get anywhere. In certain cases it could be seen as a means to imprison someone.

Nevyn · 07-12-2008 8:31pm

Or not being able to get to a dr.

The 16 Days Campaign.

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