16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence – Update
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence is always a busy time for members of MU but this year it was particularly busy as your Diocesan Social Policy Contact.
I had several MU engagements to talk about this challenging and difficult topic and with the use of a PowerPoint presentation and associated prayers, I hope I was able to inform, support and provide a starting point for groups to think about the topic as well as promoting the RiseUp Campaign.
I was also involved in a project with another organisation about Domestic Violence and the two projects together gave me both a very up to date idea of the public perception of Gender based Violence and the visual aid of a shoe making its way to freedom to further the message I was trying to make. This also dovetailed with the MU “Souls of their Shoes” very moving exhibition at Stormont, organized by All Ireland reps Cathy and Lesley, which I was lucky enough to visit for a short period.
So the shoe travelled with me to the areas I was speaking in – from Portadown to Cloughmills and from Jordanstown to Gracehill.
The Moravian Women’s Association in Gracehill was very interested in our RiseUP campaign and this will hopefully lead to some work for them to promote action against Gender based Violence.
One very interesting outcome from all the talks and engagements was the opportunity for a meeting with the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt which also allowed me to promote the work MU is doing to tackle Gender based Violence and to raise our concern that it is still so prevalent in our society.
Jacqui – Social Policy Contact
