Mayo memorial garden to 277 women who have died by femicide unveiled

A memorial garden to the 277 women who have died by femicide in Ireland since 1996 has been unveiled in Mayo.

The launch took place at Safe Ireland’s Refuge and Support Services in Castlebar.

Safe Ireland has dedicated two gardens - the second is a Cavan/Monaghan memorial - to mark 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

The garden's image and metaphor is one of transformative process, with individual free-standing butterfly pieces that honour each woman’s short-cut life and marking the possibility that the future will not repeat the past.

This year’s UN theme for the 16 Days is 'UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls', and the first campaign saw a social media focus on technology facilitated abuse.

Last year 53,441 tech-abuse reports were made to Hotline.ie - an increase of 32% on the previous year. Resistance skills can be learned, and enable victims to regain control and Safe Ireland Tech offers some guidelines (available at safeireland.ie).

The second campaign at community level saw frontline staff and community allies creating the two memorial gardens dedicated to the 277 women who have died by femicide since 1996.

CEO of Safe Ireland, Mary McDermott, said: “It is difficult to assert hope in times of extreme coercion - ask any victim of domestic abuse.

“Sex, gender and sexuality-based violence and control is an ancient pattern of subjection. We recognise these patterns and understand that perpetrators will weaponise anything to retain control - especially available escape routes. The ability to see these patterns is a key survival skill.

“Community-based specialist domestic violence services offer cocoon, safe spaces to name and manage harsh truths, transform, access community and live free again. We are hopeful, skilled and resilient.”