Madam, - I note with concern that, following the publication of Amnesty International's report on violence against women, a number of commentators have sought to minimise the issues it raised by counterposing the phenomenon of violence perpetrated against men.
While no one, Amnesty included, denies that men suffer violence at the hands of women, the scale of the problem is simply not comparable. So when it comes to establishing priorities for a campaign of action, it is clear where the starting point should be.
Our experience of this problem as it carries over into the workplace would confirm the general perception that women are far more likely to be victims than men. In recognition of the difficulties posed by violence against women - and especially domestic violence - Siptu has recently developed a set of guidelines for our workplace representatives.
We urge employers and fellow workers to be understanding of women who find themselves in difficulties of this kind, recognising that they may be coming to work suffering from significant physical, mental and emotional trauma - and that even in the workplace they may be subjected to harassment from a partner in the form of intimidatory phone calls or stalking.
For many women in abusive relationships, their capacity to remain in employment may hold the key to the possibility of achieving their independence. If they lose the ability to support themselves financially, they are more likely to remain in a destructive situation rather than attempt to break the cycle of abuse.
Indeed this example goes to the heart of this form of violence since it is a reflection of the unequal power relationships within our society between men and women. In this sense, it is gender discrimination taken to extremes.
Amnesty is to be commended for highlighting the important role that the State can play in this area but has so far singularly failed to do. Even though a State-appointed Task Force on Violence against Women produced a generally well-received report in 1997, most of its key recommendations have yet to be implemented.
If Amnesty's current campaign does nothing more than lead the authorities to revisit the 1997 report with a greater sense of urgency and a heightened commitment to act, it will have served a valuable and necessary function. - Yours, etc,
JACK O'CONNOR, General President, Siptu, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1.
Madam,- It is beyond belief that Seán Love of Amnesty International should attempt to justify its sexist and exclusive campaign on domestic violence by referring to the recent report from the National Crime Council (Opinion & Analysis, July 12th). Rather than quoting the findings, he states that "the report confirms that significant numbers of men experience violence in the home. . .but the figures are substantially higher for female victims".
For the benefit of your readers I will set out some of the more striking findings from that study: 15 per cent of women and 6 per cent of men suffer severe domestic abuse (physical or emotional); 29 per cent of women and 26 per cent of men suffer domestic abuse when severe and minor abuse are combined; 13 per cent of women and 13 per cent of men suffer physical abuse; 29 per cent of women (one in three) and only 5 per cent of men (one in 20) report abuse to the Garda; 49 per cent of admissions to women's refuges are Travellers; of those turned away from refuges, 46 per cent were for reasons other than the refuges being full.
These figures give a new insight into some of the issues he raises such as under-reporting (one in three women report, but only one in 20 men) and the fact that some women are turned away from refuges (46 per cent for reasons other than refuges being full). He says that "polarising the debate does no service to any of the victims". He is right. But it is groups like Amnesty, which run campaigns excluding male victims, which are polarising the debate. - Yours, etc,
MARY T CLEARY, Chairperson, Amen, Navan, Co Meath.