http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/west%20dunbartonshire
365 Poster exhibition hosted by Dumbarton Refuge
Dumbarton District Women’s Aid Hosts celebrated International Women’s Day 2014 by hosting the Violence Against Women 365 International Poster Exhibition. Curated by Colm Dempsey , a Child Protection specialist from Dublin, this is 365’s third successful visit to West Dunbartonshire. The exhibition, currently in its tenth year of worldwide touring, was on display in a women’s refuge for the first time. Colm and Dumbarton’s Refuge workers were delighted that the display’s powerful and hard-hitting posters received a positive response from the local community. The invitation-only event proved popular with the general public, refuge residents, Councillors Hazel Sorrel, Jim Brown and Ian Murray and Jackie Baillie MSP.
In a week when disturbing findings from the Europe-wide Violence Against Women Everyday and Everywhere study were published, exhibitions like 365 are still needed to remind us of what goes on in our midst. Of the 42,000 women polled, 33% had experienced physical or sexual violence and 43% had experienced some form of psychological violence by a current or previous partner. West Dunbartonshire figures suggest that the extent of the problem here is similar to the rest of Europe.
International Women’s Day, however, is a good time to celebrate a quiet domestic abuse revolution which has been taking place in West Dunbartonshire over the last decade. By adopting a partnership approach, local agencies have gradually built an extensive range of specialist services and projects for women, children and young people including the Council’s CARA, CEDAR and Criminal Justice Women’s Safety Services, the Reduce Abuse Prevention Project, Dumbarton District and Clydebank Women’s Aid and ASSIST Advocacy Services. The partnership also includes specially trained local Police Scotland officers and together they have transformed the way domestic abuse is dealt with in West Dunbartonshire. This coordinated approach is designed to keep victims safe, help them deal with the impact of the abuse and to make sense of what can often appear a complicated court system. West Dunbartonshire can be proud that its specialist domestic abuse services are helping more and more local women to safely rebuild their lives.
The domestic abuse revolution is not yet complete however and the Violence Against Women 365 International Poster Exhibition will doubtless return to remind us of the private atrocities still going on in our midst. However, International Women’s Day 2014 was a good moment to reflect on the distance travelled and to celebrate the part played by local women whose dedication and hard work are making that revolution possible.
- Dumbarton District Women’s Aid:
- CONFIDENTIAL Domestic Abuse Helpline 01389 751036
- http://www.ddwa.org.uk/
For further information on all other local VAW services please call 01389 738680.
In an emergency call 999
National Domestic Abuse helpline: 08000271234
Visit ‘Violence Against Women 365 International Poster Exhibition’ on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/109391782794/
http://fra.europa.eu/en/press-release/2014/violence-against-women-every-day-and-everywhere
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