Fórsa has added its voice to calls for the urgent introduction of legislation and a more consistent approach to tackle gender-based violence in Ireland following the murder of Ashling Murphy. The 23-year-old school teacher, who was attacked while out running on the Grand Canal in Tullamore, was laid to rest this week.

The union joined other education unions in a joint call for a moment’s silence in all schools on the day of Ashling’s funeral, and offered its condolences to her family, friends, colleagues and students. Fórsa also expressed solidarity with the local community, and joined the groundswell of demands for more action to tackle violence against women.

Fórsa’s Equality Committee met this week, and called on the Government to act now to introduce legislation. Union official Ashley Connolly welcomed justice minister Helen McEntee’s declaration of a “zero-tolerance approach,” but said the issue demanded more urgency.

“We are regularly seeing headlines about innocent women who have lost their lives, and this is due in part to a lack of a consistent legislative approach to combat male violence against women in this society. It’s absolutely shocking and heart-breaking that a young woman can’t even go for a run in broad daylight without fear of attack and, in Ashling’s tragic case, the loss of her life. It’s time to finally end men’s violence against women,” she said.

The union called for an interdepartmental plan to tackle gender-based violence in the new National Strategy for Domestic Sexual and Gender-based Violence, which is set to be launched in March.

Fórsa branches representing special needs assistant branches also put out a statement earlier in the week to remember Ashling as a valued member of the education community.

Domestic violence leave

Meanwhile, the Department of Equality has opened a consultation with unions and relevant stakeholders on the introduction of paid domestic violence leave, in advance of presenting Government with a report on the logistics of introducing the measure.

Unions and others have long argued that paid domestic violence leave would help survivors to end abusive relationships and relocate to escape abusive situations.

An EU-wide survey recently found that almost 15% of women in Ireland have experienced physical violence by a partner, while over 30% had experienced psychological violence. 

The survey results informed the Fórsa-backed ICTU submission on paid domestic violence leave, which also includes calls for information on how to respond and support colleagues experiencing violence.

Five Irish universities have now committed to introducing paid leave in 2022 for staff struggling with domestic abuse. Following NUI Galway’s announcement in May 2021, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin and Dublin City University became the latest to adopt the policy.

The Women’s Aid Femicide Watch Report estimates that 137 women across the world are killed by a partner or member of their own family each day.