Mayo vigil to mark 16 days of activism against gender-based violence
As part of the global 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence, communities across Ireland are drawing attention to the urgent need to protect women and girls from violence.
In Ireland, 35pc of women have experienced psychological, physical, and/or sexual abuse from an intimate partner.
25pc have experienced sexual violence as an adult with a partner.
In 2024, An Garda Síochána responded to over 65,000 domestic abuse incidents - an average of 1,250 incidents each week.
In Mayo, a series of local events will take place over the 16 days. On Sunday evening, a vigil took place in Castlebar to mark the start of the campaign.
Donna Hyland, from Manulla, organised the vigil to bring attention to the campaign and to raise awareness about the epidemic of violence against women and girls.
“To have a community vigil like that was important to bring everyone together to mark the beginning of the campaign - the whole point is to raise awareness,” she said.
Stood under the canopy in Market Square while rain pelted down, a group gathered to listen to speakers, light candles in remembrance, and stand together against gender-based violence.
Among those speaking were Ailish Coyne from SAFE Ireland Mayo, Lorraine Toner from Mayo Rape Crisis Centre, Ciara Mangan, founder of Beyond Surviving, and Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh.
“It was heartening to see there was quite a crowd there even in those conditions, you can see how important it is to people,” Ms Hyland said.
She explained that raising awareness is key to creating a fundamental shift in societal attitudes. A collective commitment to protecting and supporting women and girls, she said, is necessary to tackle gender-based violence.
“It’s going to take an all-of-society approach. It will take allies, campaigners, people who work in the sector of prevention of violence against women and girls, and policy makers - both local and national,” she explained.
The discussions at the vigil also emphasised the importance of setting standards and involving male allies.
“When I was listening to some of the speakers, something that came up for me was the need to set standards. [From] our male allies in the workplace, trade unions, in every sector of society and in the home as well,” Ms Hyland explained.
“It’s about setting a good standard of how women and girls should be and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”
The vigil also remembered women who have died as a result of gender-based violence.
Since 1996, Femicide Watch has recorded 277 cases of women who have died violently in the Republic of Ireland (up to November 19).
A ceremony at Lough Lannagh, hosted by SAFE Ireland on Wednesday, December 10, will see lilies placed on the water in remembrance of women who have lost their lives in violent circumstances.
Ms Hyland said the vigil and other events over the next 16 days will help focus attention on the seriousness of the situation at hand, “Women and girls are losing their lives over it,” she said.
Other events include a talk at ATU Castlebar by Professor Nata Duvvury from the University of Galway on digital violence and its impact on women and girls on Wednesday, December 3.
“There is a growing issue that needs to be addressed about digital violence, online abuse and harassment,” Ms Hyland noted.
Statistics from Women’s Aid show that in 2020, an estimated one in two young women experienced gender-based cyber violence.
In their ‘One in Five’ report, the organisation found that of one in five women who suffered abuse from a partner or ex, 40pc had experienced online abuse.
“There is very little protection there for digital harm against women and girls. We use social media so much, it is a part of our lives - this is an [area] that really needs to be worked on,” she said.
The increased access to digital tools has given rise to new types of violence, including non-consensual image-sharing, doxing, deepfake video, and cyberstalking.
Globally, one in 10 women have experienced some form of cyber violence since the age of 15, and Hotline.ie received 773 reports of intimate image abuse between September 2021 and September 2022.
The non-consensual sharing of intimate images became illegal under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, also known as Coco’s Law.
“[Digital violence] is used in an undermining and humiliating way,” said Ms Hyland, “You never know the hurt and long-term impact that causes.”
She also highlighted the current housing crisis and its impact on women and girls trying to leave violent situations and find refuge.
“If you want to leave a dangerous situation like an abusive relationship, it’s becoming increasingly difficult and challenging for people to do that because there isn’t a housing option available to them,” she explained.
“It’s not a case of just leaving, there is a lot more to it than that, and access to housing is a barrier.”
Ms Hyland also stressed the importance of creating and implementing policies to protect women and girls in the workplace.
“People in public and private services should have a workplace representative [who] is trained in gender based violence response and how to support someone,” she said.
“We need to be working on that level and bringing in those policies as well; it would be helpful, protective and supportive of women and girls in those situations.”
Ms Hyland’s words serve as a reminder that gender-based violence continues to affect women and girls disproportionately, underscoring the importance of awareness, community support, and systemic change.
As the 16 Days of Activism takes place, the hope is that initiatives like the Mayo vigil, combined with policy action and public engagement, will not only honour those who have lost their lives but also help prevent future tragedies and create safer spaces for women and girls.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.