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One in 10 Adults in Ireland Suffer Sexual Assault, Yet Over 70% Choose Silence

DIWIDA.NEWS crime, gender, social issues, trauma, women

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 One out of every ten adults in Ireland say they have been a victim of
 sexual assault
 while 71 percent state they did not report it
 gardaí
 , according to a recent survey.
 
 
 The survey conducted by IPSOS on behalf of the
 Dublin Rape Crisis Center (DRCC)
 Highlights the prevalent issue of sexual assault in this nation and underscores the substantial hurdles encountered by survivors when coming forward. The study revealed that one in five individuals think fabricated claims are frequent, with males below 25 years old being up to seven times more prone to adopt victim-blame perspectives compared to their elder counterparts.
 
 
 Out of 1,042 individuals aged 16 and above in Ireland, 33 percent report having experienced sexual assault, whereas 5 percent indicate they have been victims.
 raped
 Nearly half (45 percent) mentioned that they are acquainted with someone who has faced sexual assault.
 
 
 
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 The study indicates that the occurrence of sexual assault is almost double among women relative to men. Nonetheless, the general population thinks there ought to be extra assistance provided to male survivors, as 87 percent assert that further action is required to address the matter of male sexual violence.
 
 
 People who experience such incidents rarely come forward; 71% mentioned they did not report it to the Garda. Approximately 70% stated they did not receive medical care after the incident, and 59% did not look for counseling or support services. There’s also a significant difference between how women and men perceive their safety: only 48% of women say they feel “completely or mostly” secure, compared to 80% of men.
 
 <img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1CAW8V" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1CAW8V.jpg"/>
 
 About 16 percent of all participants indicated that they feel personally vulnerable to sexual assault, whereas 31 percent expressed significant worry regarding the matter of rape or sexual violence. The DRCC notes that even though there’s substantial public consciousness on this topic, there remains a minor yet troubling segment of people who question allegations made by survivors of sexual abuse.
 
 
 Approximately 20 percent consider false accusations to be frequent, while 11 percent feel that an individual shouldn't be trusted until they receive a conviction.
 court
 And 12 percent believe that individuals who do not report an incident to the police should not be considered credible. Nonetheless, there is a significant public belief in ongoing difficulties faced by victims of sexual assault, as 76 percent agree that survivors of sexual offenses encounter more obstacles compared to other types of victims throughout the legal proceedings.
 
 
 Charlene Masterson, who survived sexual violence, expressed her disappointment at seeing the significant amount of victim-blaming highlighted by the survey. She further noted: “It’s precisely this reason that makes victims extremely reluctant to come forward to the Gardaí, reach out for assistance from aid organizations, or share their experiences with loved ones.”
 
 
 People who experience abuse are often not believed – you frequently hear questions like, ‘Why did she remain,’ or ‘Why didn’t he shout for help’ – yet seldom do you hear, ‘Why did he assault her?’ The reality is that society needs to acknowledge we're facing a sexual violence crisis, and without altering our perspectives, this issue will continue to escalate.
 
 
 The DRCC Director, Rachel Morrogh, stated that it is concerning to observe a significant disparity between genders on this matter. She explained: "Clearly—among men, their perspectives vary greatly based on age, particularly younger men under 25 who are up to seven times more prone to adopt victim-blaming stances compared to those in older brackets—for instance, 28% of males aged 16-24 think that claims about sexual assault tend to be exaggerated rather than genuine issues, whereas only 4% of men within the 55-64 range share these beliefs. Addressing this divide should be an immediate priority."
 
 
 This lack of trust among survivors is supported by evidence indicating that individuals who have faced sexual assault often refrain from informing the Gardaí or confiding in others due to concerns about disbelief and social stigmatization. This aligns with what the Dublin Rape Crisis Centres frequently hear from victims—that they haven’t shared their experiences for fear of not being taken seriously. Blaming victims is far from an innocent action.
 
 
 This stifles victims and discourages them from pursuing assistance, fairness, or recovery. That’s why many wrongdoers evade repercussions for their actions. This study has exposed these mindsets, which sustain a severely damaging pattern within our community, and we need to disrupt it.
 
 
 
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One in 10 Adults in Ireland Suffer Sexual Assault, Yet Over 70% Choose Silence

One out of every ten adults in Ireland say they have been a victim of sexual assault while 71 percent state they did not report...

Parliament can do more to address gender issues

DIWIDA.NEWS gender, government, politics, politics and government, women

Last year, while approving the 2024 Budget Policy Statement, Parliament resolved that to improve the gender responsiveness of government policies, the National Treasury should include a section on the gender responsiveness of policy proposals before the finalisation of the statement.The Public Finance Management Act prescribes that the Cabinet Secretary shall take into account resolutions passed by Parliament in finalising the budget for the relevant financial year. It also requires the Cabinet Secretary to submit a memorandum explaining how the resolutions adopted by the National Assembly on the budget policy statement have been taken into account.In this regard, the National Treasury in this year’s 2025 Budget Policy Statement indicates that the government is committed to embracing gender-responsive budgeting to ensure the achievement of equity between genders. The policy statement also outlines strategic interventions targeting women and awareness creation activities on gender equality. However, the question remains: is this enough?According to the document, the government will continue empowering women through capacity building and facilitating access to affordable loans through the Hustler Fund, Women Enterprise Fund and other affirmative action funds.FemicideIt will also prioritise the implementation of measures to ensure zero tolerance for female genital mutilation, gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. This will be achieved through awareness campaigns, providing GBV essential services to survivors, establishing rescue centres, safe houses and gender desks in all police stations, as well as capacity building of GBV duty bearers and police officers on GBV.It will further integrate a gender perspective in all policies, programmes and projects. This will entail training ministries, departments, agencies, and county governments on gender-responsive budgeting and analysing their levels of compliance on gender mainstreaming policies. It will also develop a framework to implement the two-thirds gender principle in elective positions and a legal framework to operationalise it.At this juncture, it is important to note that all the above-mentioned strategic interventions fall under the women's agenda enabler in the 2025 Budget Policy Statement and only make up a small part of the total budget.Budget Policy StatementThe core pillars of the 2025 Budget Policy Statement, such as healthcare, agriculture, housing, digital superhighway and creative economy, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise, barely include gender interventions. While the 2025 policy statement has laid a solid foundation, there is room for improvement. The annual budget policy statement could be strengthened to ensure a more comprehensive approach to gender equality.For example, the 2014 Guidelines for Gender Responsive Budgeting in Kenya recommend that the policy statement incorporate specific measures to address gender equality by drafting a corresponding gender budget statement. It should outline gender equality priorities, strategic objectives, expected outcomes, programmes and resources proposed to address gender equality. It should also review the results of the previous year’s gender budget statement.However, the 2014 Guidelines for Gender Responsive Budgeting are not legally binding on the government, so it is not obligated to follow them when making budgets. Kenya still does not have a legal and policy framework to guide gender-responsive budgeting. The National Assembly, therefore, needs to accelerate action for gender equality by making gender-responsive budgeting a legal requirement.Ms Akinyi is an Advocate of the High Court and a Programme Officer at the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Syndigate.info
).

Parliament can do more to address gender issues

Last year, while approving the 2024 Budget Policy Statement, Parliament resolved that to improve the gender responsiveness of government pol...

Kepribadian Terbongkar: Apa Arti Pilihan Genre Film Favorit Anda?

DIWIDA.NEWS culture, entertainment, entertainment industry, gender, movies

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 Untuk para penggemar film, jarang ada aktivitas yang lebih menghibur daripada nonton film pada hari libur weekend. Ada juga sebagian orang yang menjadikan ini sebagai kebiasaan harian untuk meredakan lelahnya rutinitas sehari-hari.


 Karya seni berbentuk animasi ini telah sukses menampilkan hiburan di berbagai genre, sehingga setiap individu dapat bebas memilih jenis film tertentu sesuai preferensi masing-masing. Ketika mengingat sejumlah film kesukaanmu, apakah kamu masih jatuh cinta pada genre yang sama?


 Suatu studi menunjukkan bahwa film-favorit seseorang bisa membuka banyak informasi tentang karakter dirinya. Seperti yang dikutip dari situs Your Tango pada hari Minggu (3/11), di bawah ini adalah beberapa jenis kepribadian orang ditentukan melalui genre film kesayangan mereka.


 Fantasi dan fiksi ilmiah


 Sering disebut sebagai penikmat film yang tak masuk akal, para penggemar jenis ini merupakan individu yang kreatif. Orang-orang tersebut umumnya dapat mengapresiasi cerita seputar sihir ataupun petualangan ruang angkasa, sambil mempercayai adanya keajaiban dalam kehidupan nyata. Mereka memiliki imajinasi yang sangat aktif serta suka menjelajahi alam semesta baru melalui tontonan film.


 Komedi


 Film yang berfokus pada humor ini, memiliki penggemar yang tidak hanya suka tertawa, melainkan juga senang membuat orang lain tertawa. Mereka suka membagikan lelucon, meskipun itu harus mengorbankan diri sendiri dalam prosesnya.


 Mereka terkadang menjadi pribadi yang menghindari tanggung jawab, namun itu bukan berarti bahwa mereka tidak bisa diandalkan. Mereka hanya memilih untuk mencari kebahagiaan dalam kehidupan yang sulit dan keras.


 Aksi/petualangan


 Genre film ini sering menceritakan tentang tokoh-tokoh yang harus menghadapi berbagai tantangan. Jika film aksi/petualangan adalah favorit Anda, itu bisa menunjukkan bahwa Anda adalah pribadi yang menyukai petualangan dan berani mengambil risiko. Anda mungkin akan berjuang untuk apa yang Anda percayai dan hidup dengan semangat seperti setiap hari adalah hari terakhir Anda.


 Horor


 Para pecinta film horor adalah individu yang tidak takut untuk menghadapi sisi gelap kehidupan. Meskipun cenderung pesimis, mereka adalah pribadi yang jujur dan kuat dalam menghadapi ketakutan. Sehingga, banyak dari teman mereka yang percaya dan bergantung untuk mendapatkan dukungan mereka.


 Romansa


 Film-film bertema tersebut umumnya mengambil latar belakang cerita tentang asmara dan interaksi romantik antar tokoh. Bila romansa menjadi tipe film kesukaanmu, bisa jadi kamu merupakan seseorang yang merindukan kasih sayang serta rela berupaya keras demi orang-orang terdekatmu.


 Anda merupakan pribadi yang penuh semangat dan selalu berusaha untuk membuat orang lain bahagia. Setia, penuh kasih, dan tidak mudah menyerah adalah ciri khas Anda.


 Dokumenter


 Film dokumenter merupakan tipe produksi audiovisual yang menampilkan penyajian kenyataan atau situasi sejati. Penonton yang gemar memandangi film-film semacam ini biasanya memiliki apresiasi tinggi pada informasi serta realitas. Mereka dikenal handal di bidang mendengarkan narasi manusia lainnya dan juga menjadi pendamping yang luar biasa bagi mereka yang dicintai.


 Musikal


 Bukan cuma memperlihatkan para aktor yang bertindak, tipe film ini pun menghadirkan pemeran-pemeran yang turut bernyanyi dan menari. Seperti halnya dengan karya-karya musikal yang dapat berbeda-beda, penggemar dari jenis film ini mencakup ragam perasaan dan mereka enggan merahasiakan ekspresinya.


 Mereka merupakan orang-orang yang seniman, inovatif, serta bersahabat. Sebagian besar di antara mereka bertipe ekstrovert, menikmati pengakuan, tetapi mereka juga tak masalah membagikan panggung tersebut kepada pihak lain.


 Drama


 Walaupun gemar menonton film bergenre drama, itu tidak berarti mereka disebut sebagai raja atau ratu drama. Justru sebaliknya, mereka adalah orang yang unik. (JPC)

Kepribadian Terbongkar: Apa Arti Pilihan Genre Film Favorit Anda?

Untuk para penggemar film, jarang ada aktivitas yang lebih menghibur daripada nonton film pada hari libur weekend. Ada juga sebagian oran...