Rape crisis groups back State sexual harassment campaign
Rape crisis groups have welcomed a three-year Government media campaign tasked with raising awareness of all levels of inappropriate sexual behaviour and sexual harassment.
The initiative, entitled 'No Excuses', presents a range of scenarios aimed at challenging people's attitudes to common social or personal situations, including:
- Unwanted physical contact in the workplace by a female on a male;
- Unwanted physical attention at the bar by a male on a female;
- An attempt by a male to expose himself to another male in a locker room;
- An attempt by a male to coerce his female partner into unwanted sexual activity;
- An attempt by a male to prey on a woman outside a club, who is not in a position to give consent.
“I want to spark a conversation across Irish society,” Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said at the launch, during which two of the ads were played. “We have on a daily and nightly basis behaviour that is unacceptable; often times it goes without comment, unfortunately, taken for granted. We need to change attitudes.”
He said research showed Ireland had “disturbingly high levels” of sexual harassment and sexual violence, saying it was at “epidemic” proportions. He said reported sexual offences went up 26% in 2018.
Funding of €950,000 is being provided for 2019, with additional funding of €171,000 available under the Dormant Accounts Fund for local campaigns.
Charities working in the area of sexual violence were present at the launch and commended the initiative.
“I think it's provocative,” said Cliona Saidlear, executive director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, “because one of the things it does is take it at the lowest level - what people ordinarily might dismiss and say 'I won't worry about that, I'll worry about it when it gets more serious'.
“But if we are not worrying at that point, then the bar keeps moving up. We have to ask ourselves when are we going to say 'Stop' and question the behaviour.”
She said culture had “groomed” people into their attitude on this behaviour.
“We have a culture that tells, particularly girls, to accept some of this," Ms Saidler said. "They are receiving messages that tell them they should simply accept it and move on, get over it, get a sense of humour, various lines we've heard, that they shouldn't make a fuss about this.
"What the government is saying, what the authority in this State is saying is actually you are not making a fuss, this is something we need to pay attention to..."
You have a right to say no and a right to move comfortably throughout the world without being sexually harassed.
Noeline Blackwell, CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said: “This is an important campaign. What it is going to do is raise debate and discussion around what sexual harassment is. Some of the things we'll see in the ads and hear will be behaviour people sometimes think is quite normal.
“This is not normal behaviour from the other end. You can see the impact from people, you can see non-consensual behaviour, in that sense, it is wrongful behaviour, as the minister said, unacceptable.”
Ms Blackwell said the campaign asked people not to turn a blind eye and be in solidarity with the person affected: “We have to call out our friends, call out our colleagues at work - we have to say this is not acceptable, we will not tolerate it in our society.”
In relation to people thinking some of the behaviour amounts to flirting, she said: “Flirting, like everything else, has to be consensual. It is not alright out at night in a bar or club carrying on in way you think is funny or blokey and other hand someone is actually been assaulted. We must stop it.”
