A report from the Irish women’s aid organisation Saoirse paints a bleak picture of the horrors that women across the country are being subjected to.
Data from the report “Unveiling the Shadows: Dynamics of Domestic Violence and Abuse in Dublin 10” is shocking. It states that 1 out of 3 women in Ireland have experienced psychological violence from a partner, and 1 out of 6 women have experienced physical or sexual violence. In Dublin 10, one of Dublin’s most deprived areas, this phenomenon is intensified. 70% of criminal damages in the area are related to domestic violence and abuse (DVA).
Across the country women are subjected to horrific levels of DVA. The housing crisis and cost of living drastically exacerbate this brutality by trapping many women in abusive relationships simply because they are financially unable to leave their partners. This is worsened by the lack of support services and refuge places such as women’s shelters.
The government is not only doing absolutely nothing to address the root causes of DVA, it is actively contributing to them. The crisis of capitalism means that the bosses and their representatives in government must choose between protecting women by funding essential services, or protecting their profits. And so while women are being trapped in abusive homes, landlords are reaping record profits and DVA support services are getting cut to the bone.
To protect women, we need strong support systems that provide refuge places for victims. But still, after the assault of Natasha O’Brein, after the murder of Ashling Murphy, and after a myriad of other cases of violence against women, nothing has been done. No amount of appalling episodes like those will be enough to dampen the capitalist monsters’ appetite for money.
Workers must overthrow this sexist system and expropriate the vast wealth the capitalists are hoarding, putting it to use to provide social services and meet the needs of everyone. Only then will we be able to purge society of domestic violence and create genuine equality for all.
