Esker House and TUS aim to shine light on violence against women

Esker House Refuge Centre in Athlone has organised a packed schedule of events over the next two weeks to mark a United Nations international activism campaign to end violence against women.

As part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, which runs until December 10, members of the Esker House team will be on the TUS Athlone campus tomorrow (Thursday, November 28) to host a short information session during which attendees will learn how to recognise domestic abuse and refer.

The 16 Days of Activism campaign continues through to December 10. This year’s theme is 'Every 11 Minutes, a Woman is Killed. #NoExcuse'.

Esker House will be holding a drop-in clinic in Clonbrusk Primary Care Centre on Tuesday next, December 3, from 10am to 12 noon where members of the public can drop in and speak to a member of the refuge team to get support and information.

Esker House will also be working closely with Athlone Library throughout the 16 Days of Activism campaign, and the library will display a range of books on the issue of domestic abuse.

Deirdre Berry, Head of Services with the Athlone refuge service, said the idea behind organising local events as part of the United Nations international campaign is in an effort to “engage further with the community and make ourselves more visible as a domestic abuse support service, so that women and children who may be in need of support can reach out to us.”

Having received a welcome increase in funding over the past two years, Esker House has developed and expanded their capacity to meet “growing and emerging needs” according to its Head of Services, with the Child and Youth Support Services experiencing the largest growth over the past 12 months.

The court support and court clinic services being provided by staff at Esker House have also experienced “significant growth” according to Deirdre Berry, who added that the Esker Project is raising awareness and providing opportunities to learn and discuss important issues through training and community engagement.

“We have trained 33 organisations to create safe spaces through the Purple Hand Campaign, and these targeted organisations play a crucial role in providing support and resources to victims and survivors of domestic abuse” said Ms. Berry.

Purple Hand Training is available to all local businesses and organisations, and anyone wishing to avail of this training is asked to please email eskerproject@eskerhouse.ie

Over the past year, Esker House hosted their first public events iin Athlone, including International Women’s Day and Stronger Together (A guide to DSGBV services) which were well-attended and highly successful.

They also launched a number of new initiatives such as the food bank and school education programs to address the specific needs of the women and children they support.

Meanwhile, the service is continuing to work closely with Cuan and Westmeath County Council to secure a suitable site in Athlone to progress the development of its new refuge and services facility.

Among the upcoming initiatives which are being planned by Esker House are family-friendly Christmas art sessions for the women and children they support, which will be facilitated by their Child and Youth Support Service, and they are also seeking donations of gift vouchers to support families in need this Christmas.

In the New Year they plan to host an online information session on how to support victims of domestic abuse for concerned family and friends, and they will also host an event for International Women's Day 2025.

Esker House is extremely grateful to the public for their ongoing support. “That generosity and commitment has made a significant difference to the lives of countless women and children” said Deirdre Berry.

If you or someone you know needs support, please don’t hesitate to contact Esker House. They can be reached by phone on 1800 662 288. Email at info@eskerhouse.ie or visit their website at www.eskerhouse.ie Stay updated on their latest news and events by following them on social media.

The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) is joining 15 universities from across Ireland to take a powerful stand during the global campaign ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence’.

TUS Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Manager Rabiya Aliat said: “This campaign highlights the importance of higher education institutions working together on the issue of gender-based violence.

We know that in Ireland three in five people aged 18-25 have experienced, or know someone who has experienced, intimate relationship abuse.

“These staggering figures needed an urgent collective response, and with our unique roles within universities, we agreed to work together on this important prevention campaign.

All participating universities are dedicated to driving change, raising awareness, and encouraging every member of the community to actively participate during these 16 Days of Activism. A series of events and campaigns, both online and offline, will serve to educate, engage, and empower participants in advocating for a future free from gender-based violence.