It’s been a busy week leading up to #GoPurpleDay 2022 — with Friday 29th April the date dedicated to raising awareness nationally of local Domestic Violence services.

These include the support and intervention programmes run by Men’s Development Network, not to mention, as lead agents for the White Ribbon Ireland Campaign, our prevention and advocacy work with men and boys around ending gender-based violence.

Local stations

Members of our Male Advice Line team did a series of media interviews — namely Derek Smith on KCLR’s ‘Saturday Show’ the previous weekend; MAL line worker Roisin Davies on Wednesday’s ‘Deise AM’ on WLRFM; and counsellor John Kilgarrif on South East Radio’s ‘Morning Mix’ on Thursday — to promote the national freephone service and Go Purple Day.

As part of a Tusla-funded pilot initiative, MAL has now added outreach workers in the Southwest and Dublin regions to provide wraparound supports for men affected by domestic abuse (see mensnetwork.ie/mal-client-support).

Garda link-up

On Tuesday, 27 April, John Doyle, MDN’s Director of Services (Client Support), along with Claire Coughlan, Manager of Oasis House and colleagues, joined the Superintendent Tony Lonergan and others officers at Waterford Garda Station to promote Go Purple Day.

John explained our MEND (Men Ending Domestic Abuse) Programme, which engages with men who have been violent or abusive within their intimate partner relationships to effect positive change. The primary aim of the programme is the safety and wellbeing of women and children, and MEND also provides an integrated Partner Support Service.

Flags flown

In midweek, White Ribbon flag-raising ceremonies were held at Munster Technological University campuses across Cork and Kerry, with Colm Kelly Ryan, our Head of Programmes and Advocacy, attending the one in Bishopstown. As part of a new accreditation programme launched last year, MTU is enthusiastically charting a course to become Ireland’s first White Ribbon University.

Acknowledging funding of €70,000 recently awarded by the Department of Justice towards White Ribbon’s gender justice and equality work, Colm noted that Men’s Development Network is “the only organisation in Ireland to work with both male perpetrators and victims/survivors of domestic violence and abuse through our MEND and Male Advice Line programmes.”