Valentine’s Day Campaign for Women’s Safety
People holding hands behind their back
By Suhasini Srinivasaragavan
Women’s Aid Ireland is set to launch Too Into You on Valentine’s Day, a campaign aimed at supporting victims of abusive relationships aged between 18-25. The interactive website has resources on abusive relationships, ‘red flags’, quizzes to determine the health of your relationship and testimonials from victims who sought help.
Crimes against women in Ireland are at an all-time high
(Content Warning)
The Geary Institute for public policy reports that cases of domestic abuse have increased since the Covid-19 pandemic and have remained high. Women’s Aid responded to over 13,000 calls of domestic abuse in 2021.
“After the physical assault, I googled domestic abuse. I felt sick. I read the red flags and could relate to nearly all of them,” said Denise, a survivor of domestic abuse, whose testimonial is listed on the Too into you website.
Violent crimes have also risen sharply since 2016. Over 2,000 women fell victim to rape and sexual assault in 2021 alone, while over a thousand were harassed, and 6,500 were assaulted in the same year. More than 244 women have been murdered since 1996, and 2 of them in December of last year alone. Resolved cases show that almost 90 per cent of these murders were committed by a man known to the victim.
Help is not too far. Reach out if you feel unsafe.
