Women's Aid Dundalk say they are proud to be part of the MAN UP campaign which is raising awareness about domestic violence. While the majority of men are appalled by violence inflicted on women and children in the home, unfortunately there are still many instances of domestic abuse.
The campaign is based on Irish research which shows that long-term abuse activates a "freeze mechanism". This can prevent the woman from taking in the messages and information that are designed to help them find safety. It is only when something out of the ordinary happens that she may find herself able to recognise and access the support services that are there.
For further information and to see the video go to SafeIreland.ie/manup
You can contact Women's Aid Dundalk on 042-9333245
In 2012 Women's Aid Dundalk responded to 978 Helpline calls. There were 104 admissions to refuge, 84 women and 99 children.
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ReplyDeleteDiscrimination on the grounds of race or creed would not be tolerated in Ireland but gender discrimination is not only tolerated it is encouraged in this country.
ReplyDeleteA campaign recently launched by Women's Aid and supported by various other groups and supported by yourself does not strike a fair balance between genders.
Under various Irish and international treaties and conventions this campaign as it now stands could be illegal.This campaign, it's organisors, supporters and promoters are guilty of gender discrimination.
While most women demand equal rights with men many do not acknowledge or even recognise that men should have equal rights with women
While great pains are being taken to portray the image that most abuse is carried out by men on women this may or may not be true only in the sense of physical abuse. The mental abuse that many women inflict on men is being carefully ignored in the statistics they are projecting to prove the high level of abuse.
The subtle use of the word "violence " in this campaign, as opposed to the word "abuse", gives the impression that this is something that very few women would be capable of but the word "violence" has another meaning .Strength of emotion. Physical abuse is violence perpetrated on the body.Mental abuse is violence perpetrated on the mind
In the aftermath of a marital/partnership breakup most men are very lucky if they escape with the clothes they are wearing .Not only can they lose everything that they had owned and worked for many men never get to see their children again, quite often through no fault of their own.
The courts of law are very seldom sympathetic to the plight of men wronged in this manner. As a result many men feel they have no other option but to either become dependent on drug or alcoholic substance .
Their only other choice is to end their lives voluntarily and far too many are taking that option.
This campaign which is part of a series of such campaigns has been ongoing for a number of years. It has been mounted very possibly quite deliberately at a time when many men as well as many women are quite vulnerable ,for a purpose which could conceivably be construed as a form of malignant intimidation.
The aims of this campaign which would be laudable if they were not completely one sided could well be counter productive in reducing violence against women. Because men with a tendancy towards violence and possibly an increasing number of men who would use violence only as a last resort could well be tempted or in some instances provoked into retaliating with the only other option left to them.
The use of the phrase MAN UP in this campaign and the whole manner in which it is contrived suggests that the motives for launching this campaign has less to do with an awareness of violence against women but more to with a vendetta against all men.
ANTHONY O' HAGAN