Violence against women is a violation of human rights which has been shown elsewhere to have a significant impact on their health, but there is a need for comprehensive Irish research on this, it was claimed yesterday.
At the launch of Violence Against Women and Health 2007, a review of Irish and international literature on the issue, Alessandra Fantini, policy officer with the Women's Health Council, suggested that the HSE's health intelligence unit may be best placed to collate this kind of information.
Health workers such as those in hospital A&E departments are also "key contacts" in tackling gender-based violence, as many victims are more likely to contact these than to seek help from the Garda.
However she said they needed training to become engaged in routine questioning, noting that a woman who turned up at a hospital with an injury may not be asked how this happened.
"If you don't ask the right questions, you're not going to get the right answers," she said.
The report refers to previous Irish research which shows that one in seven women has experienced severely abusive behaviour, while one in five has experienced sexual assault as adults.
International research has also shown that more women die or are injured every year through domestic violence than through cancer or road collisions.
The cumulative financial cost of violence against women in England and Wales is £23 billion (€32 billion) each year, including costs to the State and employers. However, similar research for Ireland is not available.
Launching the report in Dublin Maurice Manning, president of the Irish Human Rights Commission, said it would be examining the report in full.
"This is probably one of the most important reports to be published in the last year," he said. "Violence against women is a violation of human rights."
Elsewhere, a new HSE-funded study of women who have experienced domestic abuse has been s launched by Senator Frances Fitzgerald at Dublin Castle.
The report evaluated the support provided by the volunteer programme Women Overcoming Violent Experiences.
This involves a 10-week group therapy session with the opportunity of individual therapy also offered.
It found that such an approach can help women to break free from the isolation they suffered in violent relationships and recover their self-esteem.
However, it also underlined the need for the programme to be given core funding, a move which it said would allow volunteers to focus on the work of helping clients, rather than becoming bogged down in fundraising.