What We Do

Our Vision

‘SAFE Ireland envisions a society that acts decisively on the issue with compassion and strongly challenges the perpetration of all violence against women. We believe passionately in a future where women and children are free from this violence and where we can all live in community without fear. We believe in the potential for change and social justice. We see that we all have a vital role to play to make this society our lived reality.’

Our core functions include being:

A critical public voice to the silent crimes experienced by the thousands of women and children who access our member’s domestic violence services every year.
A leading research body that conducts groundbreaking research which centre stages victims of domestic violence and provides evidence to inform social change, service development and further understanding about the causes and impacts of domestic violence across our society.
A national public information service that raises awareness about the enormous prevalence of domestic violence in a way that seeks to change social attitudes and behaviors and reduce the prevalence of domestic violence. We also provide a public information service to victims, their supporters, professionals, researchers and the media.
A National Advocacy Voice to ensure state responses serve to protect victims of domestic violence and ensures justice for the crimes committed against them.
A national network of domestic violence services that continues to develop and sustain services which respond to and advocate for the safety, practical, emotional and child related needs of women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

For details about our SAFE Ireland 250 Campaign please click here »

SAFE Ireland Strategic Direction

We place at the core of our work the “generation of knowledge” which is evidence based and directly related to the experiences of women and children, services and the society in which we live and work. We work to gather this knowledge, validate it, understand it and act on it in order to progress a social change agenda. We want to see that the needs of women and children are met and that civic society takes responsibility for the eradication of domestic violence. We work in collaboration with our members, allies, government departments, state agencies and relevant stakeholders to progress our change agenda.

At the same time SAFE Ireland supports members’ service development and promotes practice responses which are based on the experiences and needs of women and children who access services. We are also committed to working with services to find strategies to reach the women who do not access our services.

SAFE Ireland sees a society that understands the soul-destroying nature of domestic violence. We envision a society that acts decisively on the issue with compassion and strongly challenges the perpetration of all violence against women. We believe passionately in a future where women and children are free from this violence and where we can all live in community without fear. We believe in the potential for change and social justice. We see that we all have a vital role to play to make this society our lived reality.

SAFE Ireland Core Strategies 2008-2012

SAFE Ireland aims to:

Create a ‘network culture’ which facilitates difference and enables dialogue in order to further develop an understanding of, and responses to Domestic Violence/Violence Against Women in the context of contemporary Irish society.
SAFE IRELAND will place the experiences of women and children at the centre of our work and advocate on their behalf a social change agenda that will challenge the root causes of Domestic Violence.
SAFE IRELAND will develop projects and processes to generate knowledge and learning. We will gather this knowledge/learning, understand it and act on it to progress our social change agenda and provide leadership at national level.
SAFE IRELAND will encourage and support the ongoing development of a movement which challenges the tolerance of Domestic Violence and engages with Strategic Allies to develop new strategies for addressing Domestic Violence in civic society.

Download SAFE Ireland Strategic Plan 2008-2012 here