VULNERABLE women in West Cork deserve better access to help and support according to Barbara Condon, the CEO of national charity Ruhama.
She was speaking at the official launch of Ruhama’s Cork-Kerry service which offers help to women impacted by sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
The service was launched in response to the growing demand for supports for victims and aims to ensure that women in remote, rural or isolated circumstances have equal access to services.
New research published earlier this week by Ruhama highlights the serious deficiencies in providing gender-specific accommodation for victims of human trafficking and finds that Ireland is falling far short of its obligations under EU legislation.
Barbara Condon said: ‘We know that commercial sexual exploitation is an issue all across Ireland, and women in the south west deserve better access to help and support on this issue. Ruhama are here to provide it.’
Calling out the Government on the lack of suitable accommodation for victims she added: ‘The continued accommodation of these victims-survivors with their particular vulnerabilities among the general asylum reception and general International Protection Accommodation Service is inhumane and untenable.’
One survivor being supported by Ruhama’s Cork-Kerry service bravely spoke about her experience and revealed how videos of her abuse taken without her consent were widely shared.
‘Still, I carried enormous shame, especially after discovering there was footage of my abuse, videos taken without consent, passed around like I was an object,’ she said.
‘That kind of violation leaves scars deeper than words.‘It makes you question if you are even human any more.
I wanted to disappear. The new Ruhama Cork-Kerry service will be a place where trauma is named, shame is lifted, and women come home to themselves.’
Among the supports offered by Ruhama to women in West Cork are outreach, casework, counselling, peer support, trauma therapy and help in accessing legal and immigration advice and services.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin attended the official launch and told the gathering that it should never be forgotten that real women and real lives are affected by human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
He noted that Ruhama recorded a 30% year-on-year increase in women engaging in its services in its 2023 report.
It also recorded a 45% increase in casework appointments with its team carrying out more than 1,800 meetings with survivors in a single year.
‘That’s an extraordinary level of engagement with very vulnerable women,’ said Mr Martin. ‘We must never lose sight of the fact that we’re talking about real women here, real lives, real disappointment, devastation, and trauma.’
‘Human trafficking for sexual exploitation is one of the most heinous crimes our society is faced with today,’ added Mr Martin.
‘The opening of Ruhama’s Cork-Kerry service is a vital step towards providing some of the most vulnerable women in appalling circumstances with the supports, safety and compassion they need to rebuild their lives.
‘The services delivered by Ruhama in this sector and on the frontline with victims are essential as we move forward with the Government’s National Action Plan on Trafficking and our Zero Tolerance strategy for tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and our commitment to improving services and supports for victims.’
You can contact Ruhama for free confidential support by texting REACH to 50100 or calling freephone 1800 020202. For more information visit www.ruhama.ie.
