The Irish post

AMNESTY International has called on the Irish Government to deal with what it has deemed the country’s widespread violence against women.

The human rights organisation has called the problem in Ireland endemic and wants the Department of Justice to address the issue.

The call comes following recent conclusions published by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

The report highlighted concern for women in all sections of society in Ireland but in particular for those in marginalised groups such as Travellers, asylum seekers, refuges and women with disabilities.

Director of Amnesty’s Irish section Sean Love said the report finally shines a light onto the problem that exists of violence against women across Ireland. “This report reinforces the international legal imperative on the Irish government to take swift and meaningful action to tackle violence against women,” he said.

The report said: “The committee is concerned about the prevalence of violence against women and girls, low prosecution and conviction rates against perpetrators, high withdrawal rates of complaints and inadequate funding to organisations that provide support service to victims.”

The committee also pointed out that Ireland still only had a small number of women in elected office while it also criticised Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws.

But Minister of State for Justice Frank Fahey insisted the government was committed to implement the recommendations laid out by the committee and claimed the government would do all it could to address the issue of violence against women.