Women's Aid has seen a 9 per cent increase in calls to its helpline since a new TV campaign started.
Publishing the figures today on International Women's Day, the body said the increase in first-time calls was recorded since the start of the Department of Justice's television campaign to promote awareness of domestic violence.
Women's Aid is a voluntary support group for women and children who are being physically, emotionally and sexually abused in their own homes.
To date this year the helpline has responded to 28 per cent more calls than in the same period last year. One-third of calls to the helpline relate to physical violence; 44 per cent relate to emotional abuse or threatening behaviour.
In 2003, the Women's Aid National Freephone Helpline received 12,908 calls. This was a 17 per cent increase on calls made to the service in 2002.
Women's Aid director Margaret Martin said she was both heartened and saddened at the increase in calls since the recent ad campaign started.
"The increase in calls shows that victims of domestic violence seek help once they know it's available, and it is satisfying to know that the campaign has made a real difference to people's lives. For some of our callers, this is not just the first time calling us, but the first time they have told anyone what is happening to them."
Ms Martin urged victims not to suffer alone and to contact Women's Aid for help and support. The Women's Aid national freephone helpline is open everyday from 10am to 10pm 1800 341900.
Speaking in Dublin at a reception in Government Buildings to mark International Women's Day, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said unprecedented economic growth in Ireland in recent years has been a catalyst for major change in Irish society - and has had a particular impact on the role of women.
Ireland had already reached the Lisbon target for female employment of 57 per cent by 2005 and would appear to be well placed to reach the 2010 target of 60 per cent, he said.
At a lunch in Dublin to mark the event, Minister for Social Affairs Séamus Brennan said he believed it was fair to say the gender equality landscape in Ireland had altered for the better in recent years.
"Women, rightly, now have many more legal entitlements and protections - equal pay for equal work, maternity legislation and so on. Women can aim for, and expect to achieve, top jobs that were formerly the preserve of males."
However, he acknowledged that in politics, women "for whatever reason" do not feature "to the extent we would all like to see".
He said today was a time to celebrate progress and achievement. "But it is also a day to remind ourselves that we must not to be lulled into a self-congratulatory complacency. Changing attitudes and structures will continue to be an uphill struggle."
The Pensions Board marked International Women's Day by calling on all women to assess their pension situation.
The Board said only one third of working women outside the public service had a pension.
Head of Information and Training at the Pensions Board, Mary Hutch, said: "International Women's Day is a day when all women should stop and think about starting to build up their own individual pension entitlements."