In the final quarter of 2024, the SAOL Project published two reports on the issues facing women in addiction who are also experiencing domestic violence. “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 was published in October 2024.1 The second report, Worthy of Love: An evaluation of the DAVINA project, was published in December.2

The SAOL Project

The SAOL Project is a community project whose mission is to improve the lives of women affected by addiction and poverty.3 It aims to empower women to embrace their identity, define their future, and create positive change in the world. The SAOL Project identified a strong link between addiction and domestic violence, as experienced by women accessing its services. This led to the establishment in 2020 of the DAVINA project which aims to bridge the gap between addiction and domestic violence services.

Definitions of domestic violence

Both reports discuss the debate about definitions of domestic violence. For example, it is argued that ‘domestic violence’ suggests a focus on physical violence and does not adequately reflect the other forms of violence, abuse, neglect, and coercive behaviour experienced. It is beyond the scope of this article to address this important debate. The term domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is used in the report on human rights, and by Cuan.4 ‘Domestic violence’ is mainly used in the evaluation of the DAVINA project, as it is the term most often used by women who took part in the evaluation. ‘Domestic abuse’ is also used. Therefore, this article uses these terms interchangeably.

Human rights report

The report “They said they couldn’t take me because I was on drugs” was funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).1 Funding was granted under the theme of supporting compliance with public sector equality and human rights. The report explores the experiences of women in addiction when trying to access DSGBV services, from a human rights perspective. It examines how the human rights of women in the DAVINA project were being negated by the barriers and obstacles faced in accessing domestic violence services.

Methodology

A qualitative approach was taken to the research which explored the views and experiences of participants and staff at the SAOL Project. Focus groups were carried out with women in addiction and staff members. Women needed to be aged over 18 years, accessing support from the SAOL Project, and have experience of seeking domestic violence support and refuge while in addiction. Similarly, staff participants needed to have experience in advocating for domestic violence support on behalf of women in addiction. Audio recordings were made of the focus groups, and these were then transcribed and analysed thematically. 

Research aims

The research aimed to answer five questions:

1. What were the experiences of how basic rights and freedoms to accessing domestic violence support and refuge were facilitated for women in addiction?
2. What services and professionals, if any, did women in addiction seek domestic violence support and refuge from?
3. What influenced the decision of women in addiction about the services or professionals that they approached for domestic violence support and refuge?
4. When they approached services and professionals, did women in addiction encounter barriers to accessing domestic violence support and refuge?
5. Had women in addiction been refused domestic violence support and refuge based on their addiction?

Human rights and domestic violence

The report outlines the international human rights laws and agreements as they relate to domestic violence. While many of the main United Nations (UN) human rights treaties do not address domestic violence specifically, they do so under the broader premise of women’s rights to ‘life, equality, liberty and security of a person, to be free from all forms of discrimination, to equal protection under the law, to access the highest standard attainable of mental and physical health; and not to be subjected to torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment’ (p. 13).1 Three other instruments are identified, which the authors refer to throughout the report. These instruments are as follows:

1. On a European level, the 2011 Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (also known as the Istanbul Convention) is identified as a key instrument.
2. While not a legally binding instrument, the UN’s 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW) includes a declaration that State parties ‘should pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating violence against women’ (p. 13).1
3. The 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is described as a ‘revolutionary’ (p. 14) human rights instrument on gender equality.1 Recommendations were added subsequently (in 1992 and 2017) that addressed the issue of violence towards women.

Based on their review of the international literature, the authors describe it as ‘surprising and concerning’ (p. 14) that their study is the first to consider the human rights of women in addiction when accessing domestic violence services.1

Findings from the literature review

Among the findings of the literature review are the following:

• The relationship between addiction and domestic violence for women is complex. Their intersectional nature must be considered if their needs are to be addressed.
• Women in addiction are more vulnerable to domestic violence than other women. They are more likely not only to experience it in adult life but also to have been exposed to it in their childhood, further compounding their trauma.
• Perpetrators of domestic violence use women’s drug use to exert control over them and their (drug using) behaviour.
• Homelessness is another issue that intersects with addiction and domestic violence to increase women’s vulnerability. The authors argue that this is further evidence that taking a siloed approach to services for women is not effective.
• It is well documented in the literature that women who use drugs are more heavily stigmatised because of their drug use than men. This stigma provides a further barrier to accessing services.
• Zero Tolerance is Ireland’s strategy to create a country where gender-based violence is not tolerated.5 However, it does not identify women in addiction in its list of groups in society that are more vulnerable to domestic abuse. This follows an international trend in which tailored support for this group is not prioritised.
• The value of dual training for those working in the sectors of addiction and domestic violence was heavily emphasised. However, the authors could find no evidence of it having been undertaken in Ireland.
• The intersection of addiction and domestic violence presented challenges for child protection services. The review found that the stigma experienced by women created a barrier to them accessing support related to child welfare. It also found that women’s concerns about losing custody of their children could be weaponised by the perpetrators of violence to ensure that women did not seek help.
• The authors identify a gap in the literature on the compounding factors faced by women in addiction who experience domestic abuse. While there is some discussion about how perpetrators manipulate women’s drug use to maintain control over them, the authors argue that a more in-depth understanding and exploration in the literature is needed.
• In exploring the literature on the systemic barriers for women accessing services, the authors found that there tends to be an absence of political motivation and support for specialised services.
• The review also deals with definitions of domestic violence and describes the profile of services available in Ireland, and how demand outweighs supply.

Findings from the qualitative research

The experiences of women and staff are explored in Chapter 4 of the report. The overall message is that women in addiction do not have the same access to domestic violence services as other women. By reflecting on the findings in the context of the various international treaties and resolutions, the authors argue that these women’s human rights have been negated. The women reported that they were required to provide proof of abstinence from drugs as a prerequisite to accessing domestic violence services – including counselling and refuge. The findings echo those of the literature review, identifying the intersectionality of the issues faced by these women and their particular vulnerability. Despite this, they were prevented from accessing effective supports because of multiple systemic barriers. This had negative impacts for the women and, where relevant, their children.

Conclusions and recommendations

What is described in the concluding chapter of the report as ‘the most poignant finding’ of the study was that ‘women in addiction are so accustomed to rejection, oppression and discrimination arising from the stigmatisation associated with female substance misusers that some accept the exclusion that they encounter’ (p. 48).1 It is argued that this illustrates how often these women are failed by the Irish State and their rights denied, as they are entitled to the same access to domestic violence services as other Irish women.

The authors make a series of recommendations aimed at the Irish Government and service providers, in particular the statutory body with responsibility for services in the area of domestic violence, Cuan. Among the recommendations is a call for the education of service providers and other professionals: to be educated about their human rights obligations; to receive anti-stigma training to ensure that they deliver equitable treatment to women in addiction who experience domestic violence; and to undergo dual training in the complexities associated with addiction and domestic violence. Another example of the recommendations is to provide access to services developed specifically for this cohort, and to explore the possible replication of the DAVINA project.

Evaluation of the DAVINA project

On 6 December 2024, the evaluation of the DAVINA project Worthy of Love: An evaluation of the DAVINA project was launched.2 The DAVINA project is described as ‘a peer-led, psychoeducational service for women whose experience of domestic violence is complicated by substance use’ (p. 5).2

The DAVINA project

During the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, staff at the SAOL Project who continued to provide an outreach service became acutely aware of the full scale and intensity of domestic violence being experienced by women accessing their services. Coupled with evidence that women in addiction find it difficult to access domestic violence services, they recognised the need for a service that could meet their complex needs. The DAVINA project was launched in 2021 as a response. The project has three strands:

1. Service provision: This encompasses a range of supports including group or one-to-one support and psychoeducation, safety planning, and court accompaniment (see description of the manual used below).
2. Advocacy: At the micro level, the project supports and advocates for women in their engagement with services to deal with the impact of the domestic violence experienced. Advocacy on the macro level involves working with professionals, policy-makers and academics to improve access and availability of services to meet the needs of women in addiction and experiencing domestic violence.
3. Training: The training targets stakeholders working in domestic abuse, addiction, homelessness, community and statutory services. It includes a psychoeducational curriculum in the form of a manual (see description below). The aim of the training is to increase stakeholders’ understanding of the complex challenges faced by women in addiction who experience domestic violence, and to improve stakeholders’ ability to respond to their needs.

The manual referred to above was developed to support delivery of the various strands of the DAVINA project. It was co-produced with a group of 16 women who had experienced addiction and domestic violence. The 10 modules are: myth-busting and discussing change; types of abuse, risk and safety planning; dynamics of abusive relationships; human rights and Ireland’s laws around domestic abuse; mental health; domestic abuse and children; getting help; healthy relationships; communication, boundaries and consent; and a reflection module.

Intersectionality of addiction and domestic violence

The findings of the evaluation report echo those of the human rights report “They said they couldn’t take me because I was on drugs” listed above. The literature review carried out as part of the evaluation finds that ‘a symbiotic relationship exists between domestic violence and addiction, meaning that women who experience addiction are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence and vice-versa’ (p. 7).2 It goes on to say that they are ‘mutually reproducing social phenomena, which may then be exacerbated by other factors such as mental ill health, poverty, and homelessness’ (p. 7).2

Conceptual framework – Empowerment Process Model

There is no consensus on the best approach to evaluate domestic violence services. The author chose a framework offered by the empowerment process model developed by Cattaneo and Goodman2 They define empowerment as ‘a meaningful shift in the experience of power attained through interaction in the social world’ (p. 8).2 The model is described as when:

A person who lacks power sets a personally meaningful goal oriented toward increasing power, takes action, and makes progress toward that goal, drawing on his or her evolving self-efficacy, knowledge, skills and community resources and supports, and observes and reflects on the impact of his or her actions. (p. 8)2 

Methodology

Focus groups and in-depth interviews were carried out with women participating in the DAVINA project, peers who had received dual training, staff at the project and other stakeholders (a member of An Garda Síochána, a probation service worker, and a member of a community drugs project). Observation was also carried out by the researcher. Audio data were fully transcribed and analysed.

The data are analysed and reported around seven key components relating to the empowerment process model: goals as set by the women on the project; knowledge of what must be done to reach the goals; skills to be able to move towards the goals set; self-efficacy or the perceived ability to accomplish particular tasks; community resources, both formal and informal supports; actions carried out towards goal achievement; and impact in terms of the internal experience and external change, collateral damage and unexpected benefits.

Findings

The voices of women and staff of the DAVINA project are at the core of this report. It provides valuable insights into the experiences and complexities of these women’s lives and those who work with them. The Discussion chapter in the report draws out many of the key findings. While not an exhaustive list, these include:

• Participants, staff and stakeholders all credited the project with giving them an ‘in-depth understanding of domestic violence, its myriad forms and intersections with drug use, and its ongoing impact on their professional and personal lives’ (p. 49).2
• Participants attributed the DAVINA project with unburdening them of the sense that they had deserved the violence they had experienced from their abusive partners and relations. They developed a belief that their lives and voices had value. This also had a positive impact on substance use for some.
• The practical guidance laid out in the DAVINA project manual had improved participant and staff knowledge on the topics and had given them an ability to guide survivors ‘towards an acceptance of their experiences, as well as mitigating the potential for grievous harm, and nurturing different personal and relational outcomes in future’ (p. 49).2
• New skills had been developed by participants and staff. These included knowing how to apply for a court order, creating a safety plan, and knowing where and how to refer women for support.
• Key to the success of the DAVINA project was the provision of a safe, non-judgemental space in which re-traumatisation was actively dealt with and the risk of it happening mitigated.
• The role of peers in providing support, a consciousness-raising exercise, and shared experiences were seen as critical elements in the structure of the DAVINA project.
• Applying the Empowerment Process Model to the data collected, the author argues that the DAVINA project can be considered efficacious across the seven components outlined above. The DAVINA project effected empowerment through supporting participants to gain knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, and awareness of community resources: ‘Therefore, it was effective because participants were able to see the benefits of these processes in relation to the social worlds around them, their neighbours, friends and family, and in particular, their children’ (p. 51).2 

Among the report’s recommendations are the following:

• Psychoeducation around domestic violence and a rigorous trauma-informed approach should remain at the core of the project.
• The strength-based approach taken to addressing the impact of domestic violence on women’s parenting capacity and children should continue; this is a particularly traumatic aspect of the experience.
• The project should be subject to ongoing evaluation and it should explore ways to quantify its impact. 

Concluding comment

The two reports discussed here highlight the intersectionality of experiences of addiction and domestic abuse for women. The establishment of the statutory agency Cuan and its remit dedicated to tackling and reducing DSGBV provides a valuable opportunity for the specific needs of women in addiction to be addressed.

1    Kennedy M, Murtagh G, Lucey H, Broderick G, Fayne R and Dunne R (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. Available from:
https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/42027/

2    Lucey H (2024) Worthy of Love: An evaluation of the DAVINA project. Dublin: SAOL Project.

3    For more information on the work of SAOL, visit: https://www.saolproject.ie/

4    For more information on Cuan, visit: https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/09288-cuan/

5    Department of Justice (2024) Zero tolerance. Third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender based violence: 2024 implementation plan. Dublin: Department of Justice. Available from: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/41096/