RCNI Press Release 24 May 2004

Rape Crisis Centres offer the Department of Education the solution to challenges identified by Professor Lynch.

Offering insight into the nuances of the equality agenda at the EU presidency Conference on Violence Against Women, Professor Kathleen Lynch outlined the need for the development of public spaces to discuss gender and sexuality, particularly for young adults, in order to foster a care-full view of citizenship.

Currently Rape Crisis Centres (RCC) throughout Ireland are facilitating the opening up of those public spaces by making their expertise available to students, community youth projects, teachers and trainers. However, it is unsustainable for RCCs to continue to provide this service without Department of Education support.

Rosemary Daly, Director of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre which supports a full educational service said, 'the Department of Education, although sitting on the NSC on VAW, has as yet failed to become involved in the educational programmes offered by frontline services. At present delivery is dependent on the initiative of individual schools and the staff and volunteers of the centres finding the spare time to provide this vital service in the struggle to eliminate sexual violence in our society.'

Fiona Neary of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) said, 'the Department needs to begin to engage directly with and resource the delivery of these services by outside expert organisations in order to facilitate the public spaces Prof Lynch identified as essential to the elimination of sexual violence in our society.'

Notes:
. DRCC provides volunteer outreach speakers on values to second level schools on work of DRCC, training on issues of rape and abuse to teachers and guidance councillors, training on harassment, sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace. They have been providing this service for over 10 years and have now educated thousands of people.
. The Department of Education does not currently fund any of the educational programmes provided by Rape Crisis Centres in Ireland
. Kathleen Lynch is a professor in the Equality Studies Centre in UCD

For information contact:
Cliona Saidlear (RCNI Press Officer) 087 2196447