News

She was going for a run

 As Irish society tries to come to terms with the brutal murder of Ashling Murphy, this simple statement is being shared across social media. Ashling, aged 23, a teacher in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, was jogging along the Grand Canal on Wednesday afternoon when she was killed. This is an appalling act of violence against a woman and, unfortunately, such acts are part of a wider pervasive societal issue both in Ireland and worldwide.

Globally, one in three women are subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence. Every day, 137 women across the world are murdered by a partner or member of their family. In Ireland, 244 women have died violently between 1996 and 2022, with 18 children dying alongside their mothers. The majority (87%) of these women (where the case has been resolved) were killed by a man known to them, while 13% of these women were murdered by a stranger.

 Women are not safe in our homes or in our communities. Women are scared. Women are angry. Women feel powerless.

 In the Centre for Global Women’s Studies, we work for a world without violence against women and all forms of gender-based violence. In conjunction with NGOs such as Safe Ireland, we call for an end to violence against women. We call for a greater focus on eradicating the patriarchal norms of masculinity (dominance, control and male entitlement) that underpin such violence. We call for greater accountability for perpetrators of violence against women. We call for sufficient government resources to be allocated to the prevention of, and response to, acts of violence against women.

 We call on men to stand in solidarity with women in tackling violence against women. 

 Our sympathies to Ashling’s family, friends and pupils. May Ashling rest in peace.

#stopviolenceagainstwomen

https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0114/1273610-vigils-ashling-murphy/

https://www.safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-find-help/

https://www.womensaid.ie/about/