Publicity campaigns

In March 2010 the Assembly Government launched 'The Right to Be Safe', a six-year integrated strategy to for tackling all forms of violence against women, together with a three-year implementation plan to support the delivery of the strategy and the existing Domestic Abuse Strategy launched in 2005.

The Right To Be Safe flags up the need to continue raising awareness and challenge attitudes to prevent violence against women and children happening in the first place.  It sees this as a key component of action to change attitudes and behaviour.

The Implementation Plan contains an action to ‘Develop multi-media publicity campaigns to raise awareness of violence against women, stalking, harassment and domestic abuse, challenge attitudes and promote the national helpline’.

In recent years the Assembly Government has run Christmas and New Year campaigns to ensure that victims of domestic abuse are aware of the help available to them and to publicise the Domestic Abuse Helpline. These centred on radio, regional newspapers and leaflets.

The advent of the digital media has meant that more recent campaigns have embraced online advertising, social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, U-tube and dedicated campaign websites alongside the traditional media channels.