Kennedy, Mary and Murtagh, Gráinne and Lucey, Hannah and Broderick, Gary and Fayne, Rachel and Dunne, Réidín (2024) “They said they couldn’t take me because I was on drugs.” A report examining whether human rights are negated for women in addiction when accessing domestic violence support and refuge in Ireland. Dublin: SAOL Project.
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The SAOL Project is an integrated education, rehabilitation, advocacy and childcare programme based in North Inner City Dublin. With bolstering from the local community, the project was established in October 1995 to provide support for women who were engaged in methadone treatment. In the twenty-nine years since its inception, SAOL has worked to promote the needs of female drug users and their children. The project engages with women at any point along the continuum of change, supporting those who are changing their relationship with drugs, maintaining their stability with prescribed substances and/or choosing to be drug-free.
The DAVINA Project is a relatively new initiative established in 2020 in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns. Before the establishment of the DAVINA Project, Domestic Sexual Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) was addressed at the SAOL Project through one-to-one case work intervention. Staff from the project noted the recurring difficulty for women attending who disclosed DSGBV as it became apparent that mainstream domestic violence support and refuge services were limited in what they could offer them. Frequently, women who disclosed experiences of domestic violence were limited in what they could avail of due to a requirement to provide proof of abstinence from drugs and stability before services such as counselling or refuges would offer support to them...
In 2022, the SAOL Project successfully applied for funding for the study from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) Grants Scheme. The IHREC is an independent statutory body established in 2014 under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. Under the Act, IHRECs functions include protecting and promoting human rights and equality; encouraging the development of a culture of respect for human rights, equality and intercultural understanding in the State; promoting understanding and awareness of the importance of human rights and equality in the State; encouraging good practice in intercultural relations to promote tolerance and acceptance of diversity in the State and respect for the freedom and dignity of each person; and working towards the elimination of human rights abuses, discrimination and prohibited conduct (IHREC 2022). The 2022-23 IHREC Grants Scheme aimed to advance greater economic equality and support compliance with the public sector equality and human rights duty. The SAOL Project submitted an application relating to the latter. The premise of the grant scheme was to build understanding and leadership; empower people, groups and communities who face the greatest barriers and are the least likely to be heard to advocate for their rights and be involved in the decisions that affect them; and to help place human rights and equality at the centre of legislation, policies, practice. The grant scheme emphasised that successful applications would demonstrate a commitment to empowering groups protected under the nine grounds of equality legislation (civil status, family status, age, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, membership of the traveller community, as well as people experiencing poverty and socioeconomic discrimination) that were less likely to have their voices heard..
G Health and disease > Substance use disorder (addiction)
L Social psychology and related concepts > Interpersonal interaction and group dynamics > Social support
MM-MO Crime and law > Crime and violence > Crime against persons (assault / abuse) > Intimate partner abuse (domestic violence)
MM-MO Crime and law > Crime and violence > Crime against persons (assault / abuse) > Sexual violence
MM-MO Crime and law > Legal rights > Rights of persons who use substances (users)
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Social services
T Demographic characteristics > Woman (women / female)
VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland
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