A statutory agency dedicated to tackling and reducing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV), Cuan, was established by law on January 1, 2024 alongside the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency Act.
Establishment of the Agency comes as a result of a commitment in the ‘Zero Tolerance’ national strategy on DSGBV published in June 2022. While the news of the agency’s establishment is welcomed and comes as a significant opportunity to combat issues relating to DSGBV, there has been little evidence of any mobilisation of the agency’s objectives.
The establishment of the Agency follows scandalous reports of over 3,000 domestic violence 999 calls being cancelled by the Garda Síochána between 2019 and 2020, a reported rise of 16% in contacts with Women’s Aid support services in 2022, and an ‘epidemic’ of gender-based violence in Ireland, according to Leo Varadkar in 2023, who stated that dealing with the issue is a ‘government priority’.
While Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has claimed that the Agency and its board will provide expert focus and commitment to drive the necessary societal change to tackle DSGBV, this has yet to be seen in any capacity.
Where are we now with CUAN?
Developments and updates on the agency’s progression have been slow, with public advertisements for core employment opportunities, such as Head of Strategic Engagement remaining open until February 7, over a month after the agency’s establishment. Further, the Agency remains without a website, despite its core objectives involving ensuring that victims of DSGBV know the full range of supports available and how to access them. This comes as a concern considering analysis by Safe Ireland that suggests that 92% of women who experience domestic violence or intimate partner violence do not access support services.
The aims of the Agency seem to open up significant opportunities to combat DSGBV, yet there has been no indication that the Agency has begun to take any action yet, weeks after its establishment. Incidents of DSGBV are rife in Ireland, and delays to combat these are quite concerning.
What is DSGBV?
The UN defines GBV as ‘violence that is directed against a person on the basis of gender or sex. It includes acts that inflict physical, mental, or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty. While women, men, boys and girls can be the victims of GBV, women and girls are the main victims.’
Further, the European Commission has established that GBV is a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination, which can be seen through acts of physical harm, sexual harm, psychological or economic harm, or suffering to women.
DSGBV can have short-term, long-term, or lifelong mental, physical , and social impacts on survivors, and in extreme cases can even result in loss of life.
What will CUAN do?
The Agency will be tasked with coordinating and reporting on the delivery of government strategies relating to DSGBV (including the current National Strategy), supporting and overseeing the delivery of safe and accessible refuge accommodation, and ensuring the delivery of excellent services to victims of DSGBV (including helpline and other supports).
They also are responsible for leading on awareness-raising campaigns designed to reduce the incidence of DSGBV in Irish society as well as ensuring all victims know the full range of supports available and how to access them, liaising with the Minister for Justice and the Department of Justice to ensure that the work of the Agency aligns with overall government DSGBC policy, leading on research to inform DSGBV policy development, working with others, such as the CSO.
Action is needed now
Incidence rates of DSGBV are ever-increasing, and lives are at stake. Establishing the Agency by law does absolutely nothing for victim-survivors of violence and abuse, legislation is futile without action, and represents a mere symbol of acknowledgement by government officials. While societal and attitudinal change take considerable time and effort, the lack of action to mobilise the Agency is not excusable.