Graves calls on government to tackle “epidemic of violence against women”

Sinn Féin TD for Fingal East Ann Graves has demanded that tackling domestic violence must become a government priority.

Speaking in the Dáil, Graves said, “as an active trade unionist, I clearly see the link between the struggle for women’s rights and the struggle for workers’ rights. International Women’s Day grew out of the labour movement in the USA and workers struggle for better conditions.”

“We have made good progress since 1908. But we have a long distance to go until we have achieved full and total equality between women and men,” she said.

“This government may well trumpet economic growth, but women remain the largest group of people excluded from a fair share of benefits in our economy.”

The Sinn Féin TD cited the gender pay gap, which she deemed as “institutional sexism.”

“It is unacceptable and must change,” she said.

“Tackling domestic violence must become a priority for this government.”

Graves cited statistics from Women’s Aid, with 2023 being the year with the highest amount of reports of gender-based violence.

Statistics for 2023 showed more than  40,000 disclosures of abuse against women and children in 2023, the highest figure since Women’s Aid started recording statistics.

“There is an epidemic of violence against women. As a society, we cannot accept anything other than zero tolerance. Every day in my constituency I meet women who are victims of abuse. With the housing crisis and lack of spaces in refuges, there is nowhere for women to go,” the Fingal East TD said.

“Women flee the family home while the abuser gets to stay in the home.  The woman gets punished twice; once by her abuser and again by the system.”

“Other women who have been through the system say that men get a slap on the hand while they are left with the physical and mental scars for the rest of their lives.

“With the growing representation of Sinn Féin TDs, we intend to keep raising issues that deeply affect working class women, particularly tackling the causes and consequences of domestic violence.

“While today’s statements are important, what we need is commitment by this government to work with us in tackling gender-based violence and the institutional misogyny that allows violence against women continue unchallenged in our society.”