This weekend marks start of 16 day campaign against gender-based violence

This weekend marks the start of ’16 Days of Activism to end Gender-based Violence’, which runs until 10 December, International Human Rights Day.

Unite represents workers throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic, and this year the union is highlighting the links between housing, homelessness and domestic violence during the ’16 Days of Activism’.

Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness, especially among women, in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.  Not only may those escaping domestic violence and abuse be unable to access either a refuge space or permanent housing, but the lack of alternative accommodation may prevent a woman taking the first step out of an abusive situation.

The housing crisis on both sides of the border also means that many women cannot transition out of temporary accommodation in a shelter or refuge into permanent housing, which in turn increases the pressure on temporary accommodation providers.

Unite’s Irish secretary Susan Fitzgerald said:“Housing is key to supporting women escaping abuse and violence. It is intolerable that a woman should be forced to choose between staying in an abusive situation and finding herself homeless – effectively exchanging one form of trauma for another”.

Taryn Trainor Unite’s regional women’s officer said: “As well as increasing the number of refuge spaces available, governments on both sides of the border need to ensure that women escaping domestic violence and abuse are able to quickly access affordable and appropriate permanent accommodation for themselves and their children”.