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Violence against women is a “pandemic”, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said, while arguing that race and ethnicity should not be brought into discussions on domestic and gender-based violence.
Speaking to reporters at a press event this week, the Fine Gael Minister said domestic, sexual and gender-based violence was “a global epidemic” and urged men to take a leadership role in addressing the issue. His comments came in the context of the murder of Jamey Carney.
Harris was asked whether he agreed with Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill’s earlier remarks that violence against women ultimately comes down to men, and whether politicians should stop bringing race and ethnicity into the discussion.
Addressing that point, Harris said the focus should remain on the issue of violence itself rather than the nationality or ethnicity of offenders.
“So firstly, in relation to race and ethnicity, that shouldn’t be brought into this discussion,” he said.
“I mean, domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence is an epidemic in this country. It’s a global epidemic. It’s a pandemic.
“And regardless of the nationality or ethnicity of somebody who carries it out, that entirely misses the point. It’s just downright wrong, it’s disgusting, it’s repulsive, and it needs to be called out.”
Harris also said men have a particular responsibility to engage with the issue.
“And men absolutely have a very important role to play in this and should never recuse themselves from the conversation or recuse themselves from leadership in relation to this issue,” he continued.
“I’m also very conscious in relation to DSGBV that it comes in very many forms.”
The Tánaiste also pointed to measures introduced by successive governments, including legislation on coercive control, Coco’s Law and the establishment of Cuan.
“I think we were one of the first countries, definitely in Europe, to legislate in relation to coercive control,” Harris said.
“We’ve seen the very significant legislation around Coco’s Law, the good work done by my colleague Minister McEntee being continued by Minister O’Callaghan in the establishment of Cúan.”
While saying he did not want to make the issue about “one individual”, Harris also expressed concern about the influence of online personalities associated with what he described as the “manosphere”.
“We have to be very careful about the role models. The manosphere, I think it’s called. I watched that Louis Theroux documentary relatively recently, and it’s kind of horrifying, really. It’s a very hard watch, actually.
“I mean, there were many incredible role models on the pitch in Croke Park for young men at the weekend. There are many, many good male role models. But this idea of the kind of glorification and glamorisation of people that are not only role models, are vile individuals, is something we really have to reflect on.”
He also said politicians and media organisations should consider how such figures are portrayed publicly.
“We have to reflect on it in politics,” Harris said.
“I don’t say this in any sort of accusatory way in relation to the media; the media have to reflect on it as well. You know, these people that are treated as kind of cute and cuddly celebrities when they’re vile, despicable individuals.
“And I think we all have to think about how we deal with that.”
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