16 days / 16 Nursery Rhymes
Sometimes there is a misconception that domestic violence is between a couple and that children are not directly involved. Just as women come to refuge with a million different experiences, the only common factor being domestic violence, so too are the children affected in a myriad of ways.
As we approached the Women’s Aid Campaign – 16 Days Against Violence Against Women, November/December 2007, we wondered how we could portray the impact of domestic violence on our residents with particular emphasis on the children. With the help of the 2006 statistics highlighting that 1952 women and 2985 children were admitted to refuges in Ireland, quantifying the reality that the number of children being admitted is almost double that of women. In 2006 Aoibhneas Women and Children’s Refuge had 183 women and 433 children availing of our service.
Possibly one of the hardest things to witness is a child who presents as emotionally, or physically traumatised. Added to which the child has little or no say either personally or politically about the choices made on his/her behalf. To emphasise this situation Aoibhneas Women and Children’s Refuge decided to focus for the ‘16 Days, 2007’ on just how children are affected. Hence, our contribution - Every Child Has A Story….Please Listen! – 16 days/16 Nursery Rhymes.