Abuse of women still 'huge problem'

Gender-based violence and sexual abuse against women continues to be a "huge problem" in Ireland, according to Minister of State Conor Lenihan.

Speaking on International Women's Day, Mr Lenihan said that violence against women touched every community in the world. "We have lessons to learn ourselves in Ireland, too. Let's be honest. It was the EU that brought in equal pay, and let's not even get started on domestic violence."

He later told The Irish Times that women who were the victims of domestic or sexual violence were coming to him "in tears" in his constituency every week to ask what they should do.

"But they are thinking about their children and their families and are afraid to leave the perpetrators of the abuse because they'd be breaking up the family," Mr Lenihan observed.

He was speaking at the opening of a photography exhibition in Dublin entitled Broken Bodies, Broken Dreams which portrays images of women and girls who have been victims of violence.

Included is a photograph of the funeral of a three-year-old girl in South Africa who had been raped and murdered. Another photograph is of a woman in Bangladesh, her face badly scarred by acid thrown on her because she refused the advances of a man.

Meanwhile, Minister for Social and Family Affairs Seamus Brennan warned that more than half of the Irish women who were in paid employment did not have personal pensions. "Unless circumstances change," he said, "the harsh reality is that they [ women] may live longer [ than men], but many may also live poorer in old age."

Speaking at a breakfast for women's groups, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell called for greater representation of women in politics and science and technology. "While considerable progress has been made in advancing the role of women in Ireland, particularly through a strong body of equality legislation, there is still a need to take a proactive action in some areas," he said, adding that he planned to publish a "national women's strategy" later this year.

Marie Hainsworth, deputy chair of the National Women's Council of Ireland, pointed out that many women were still struggling for better pay and working conditions and "access to the decision-making arena."

The Broken Bodies, Broken Dreams exhibition, hosted by Amnesty International, continues at Filmbase, Curved Street, Temple Bar, until March 20th.