The Primary Health Care workers in Balbriggan have successfully completed our ‘Sunia Geel’ Domestic Violence training.

Suzie McCarthy, Primary Health Care Coordinator, got in contact with us and expressed her interest in making the training available to the group of Primary Health Workers, all women, in her area.

From there we decided to organise six morning sessions that would be run by members of the Family Support Service in Balbriggan Resource Centre.

The training, we have developed, uses a diversity of learning methods such as oral presentations, small as well as big group discussions, brainstorming, use of DVDs, group work; we try to make it as interactive as possible and we encourage group participation at all times.

The training highlights the issues of Domestic Violence in general and within the Traveller community, but it also raises awareness of the many ongoing problems or barriers that victims face when trying to access services in order to keep themselves safe.

This includes an overview of the limitations in the current legislation regarding Domestic Violence.

The group of trainees in Balbriggan was very rich and varied and this allowed for the discussion of many different aspects and attitudes related to the issue of Domestic Violence.

Participants showed commitment to the training and concern and sensitivity towards the issue of Domestic Violence.

In some cases participants showed a willingness to explore their own experiences related to Domestic Violence coming from different several roles and everyone benefited from such disclosures.

By the end of the training the group seemed to have reached consensus about the criminality of Domestic Violence and the limitations of the law.

Finally we were able to deliver eight training certificates to women between the ages of 18 and 60. We celebrated this by posing for pictures and having tea, sandwiches and biscuits.

Well done everyone!

Sunia Geel Project

Domestic Violence Training