Abused women in Northern Ireland have least access to support services in UK

The End Violence Against Women Coalition - of which Amnesty International is part - is today calling on the Northern Ireland Government to provide proper services for women who have experienced violence.

A new report published by the Coalition entitled Map of Gaps, examines the provision of services for women who have experienced violence across the UK and has revealed through a series of facts, figures and maps, that women in Northern Ireland who have experienced violence face the least comprehensive service provision.

Map of Gaps reveals that there are no funded specialised support services for rape victims anywhere in Northern Ireland. It also highlights how Northern Ireland is the nation in the UK where women have no access to Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs) and that there is almost a total absence of programmes which seek to address the behaviour of men who are violent to women in the region.

In addition, Northern Ireland is the only region in the UK where there are no support services for women seeking to escape prostitution, trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The End Violence Against Women coalition comprises several organisations in the women's sector, including Women's Aid and Amnesty International.

Patricia Campbell of Amnesty International Northern Ireland pointed out:

'The situation here contrasts most strongly with that in Scotland which has recently seen an increase in the provision of services for rape survivors. The reason is simple. The Scottish Government is developing a strategic approach to addressing violence against women and has allocated ring-fenced funding for services.

'Women in Northern Ireland deserve nothing less. We owe it to every woman to allow her to feel safe, secure and respected. That's why we are asking our Government here to provide more support services. This deserves serious attention and funding and we will be seeking to meet with politicians here to make sure that we press the case for what is a lifeline for far too many women.'

The report also highlights how one woman in every ten across the UK experiences violence each year.
 
Speaking about the report Eileen Murphy, Director of Women's Aid Newry, Mourne and South Armagh, said:

'I very much welcome the fact that this report breaks the 'silence on violence' and exposes a situation of which we have long been aware. When women who approach us for help reveal that the abuse which they have suffered has included rape, the total lack of counselling and support services available for them anywhere in Northern Ireland means that we are forced to refer them to Dundalk for help. This is totally unacceptable.'

Marie Brown, Director of Foyle Women's Aid, added:

'It is vital that women across Northern Ireland have access to these services. Currently women in the North West have to travel to Belfast for basic forensic services. This can involve a nine hour period of travelling and waiting to be seen. This discriminates against women who don't live in Belfast.'

To find out more about the End Violence Against Women coalition, visit, http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk