Statement by Margaret Tumelty to the UN Committee for the Elimination Of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women On The Combined Fourth And Fifth Reports from the Government Of Ireland .

11 TH July 2005

Thank you Madam Chair for giving me the opportunity to address the Committee. I am Margaret Tumelty from Banulacht, which is also a member of the WHRA.

I would like to raise two critical areas in which we believe the Irish Government is in violation of the Convention. These are political representation and violence against women and Traveller women.

1. Violence Against Women

In contravention of articles 1, 2 and general recommendation 19, violence against women continues to be a significant barrier to the full realisation of women's rights in Ireland . Data provided in the government report focuses on domestic violence, rendering invisible the existence of other recognized forms of violence against women.

Women accessing the legal system receive an inconsistent response. The legal and criminal systems require reform, yet despite the CEDAW Committee's previous recommendations in this regard, there is a reluctance to address these issues. Only 29% of women experiencing severe abuse in an intimate relationship contact the police and these rates are falling. Conviction rates for domestic violence are low, with less than 6% of men receiving a prison sentence for violence to their partners or former partners. Just 7% of domestic violence incidents in 2003 resulted in conviction. Women can be left waiting for up to 3 months for a hearing with unsafe child access arrangements placing women at further risk.

Insufficient funding of services means that refuge provision is inadequate; 2 out of 5 women were refused refuge in 2003 and the national domestic violence helpline missed one in 3 calls made to the line in that year due to insufficient funding. Despite this demonstrable demand, funding has effectively been cut, as it remains at 2002 levels.

In keeping with general recommendation 19, we recommend urgent action with regard to the inadequate response of the legal system and the insufficient funding for frontline services for all women. We welcome the development of the 5 year strategic plan for the National Steering Committee on Violence against Women, however, without sufficient resources it will not be effective.

We recommend that urgent action be taken to ensure that the criminal justice system is responsive to the issue of violence against women, recognises and understands its impact on women's lives and that perpetrators be sanctioned in order for women to remain safe and attain justice.

2. Traveller Women

In contravention of articles 1, 2, 3, 10 and 11, Traveller women continue to experience poverty and discrimination.

There are about 30,000 Traveller families in Ireland . Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority and are recognized as one of the most marginalised groups in Irish society. The life expectancy of Traveller women is 12 years less than settled women, with high infant mortality rates. Low educational status and poor literacy levels reduce their ability to participate in social, economic, political and cultural life.

For Traveller families who are transient (1,207 families), accommodation on both official and unofficial sites is extremely poor. Traveller women are living without access to water, toilets, electricity, regular rubbish disposal and with no security from eviction. Traveller women are largely responsible for child rearing, domestic duties and caring for the elderly. These living conditions impact on all aspects of their lives, socially, culturally and economically. The CEDAW Committee requested, in 1999, that detailed analysis of women’s poverty be conducted, particularly in relation to vulnerable groups. This has not occurred and impacts on the State’s ability to monitor the situation of Traveller women or assess the outcomes of any policies aimed at addressing this situation.

We recommend that:

• Comprehensive data, disaggregted by gender and ethnicity, is gathered as a matter of priority and that research is carried out to identify the nature and extent of poverty experienced by Traveller women

The government does not recognize Travellers as a distinct group from the population as a whole. Yet the government protects Travellers under equality legislation. This conveys the contradictory manner in which Traveller identity and ethnicity is dealt with by the Irish government. Traveller women experience discrimination on the grounds of gender and they experience racism as an ethnic minority.

We recommend that:

• The government, as a matter of urgency, recognises the ethnicity of Traveller Women to ensure that the intersectionality of gender and racism is addressed.

3. National Women’s Strategy

The government is currently writing the National Women’s Strategy, as required under the Beijing Platform for Action. There is concern that the Strategy will not be informed by a clear analysis of structural inequality and not contain timebound targets and indicators.

We recommend that:

• The government, as a matter of priority, incorporate the core principle of substantive equality into the NWS, in keeping with General Recommendation 25, and that it be indicator driven to ensure the realization of human rights for all women in Ireland.

I thank you for your attention.

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