SETU Tackling Gender Based Violence National Summit 2024

An Ghníomhaireacht um Fhoréigean Baile, Gnéasach agus Inscnebhunaithe, or Cuan, is a statutory agency under the remit of the Department of Justice dedicated to tackling and reducing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). Established on 1 January 2024, and officially launched by Minister McEntee in February 2024, Cuan coordinates and drives the implementation of Zero Tolerance, The Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. It does this through coordinating all the Government actions set out in the strategy, delivering excellent services to victims of DSGBV nationwide, establishing robust national service standards, leading on research into DSGBV to inform policy development and leading on awareness raising campaigns designed to reduce the incidence of DSGBV and to signpost help and resources.

Joan Mullan, PO Standards, Research and Data – CUAN, The Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency

Fredrick Okungu is the White Ribbon Programme Coordinator in the Men’s Development Network and is tasked with the overall responsibility for the day-to-day running and implementation of the White Ribbon Secondary School Programme.

Fredrick has previously worked in different programmatic capacities for KYMCA, UN Women and NDI. Crucially, in UN Women, he spearheaded the development of a knowledge product – the Electoral Gender-Based Violence (EGBV) manual that the Kenyan electoral body (IEBC) used in sensitizing duty bearers and stakeholders in responding to EGBV concerns. He further successfully, in collaboration with NDI, established county-based youth advocacy groups in six counties whose objective was to ensure the inclusion of youth in county development processes. He also previously worked as a Client Support Worker at MDN and doubled up as a consultant for the White Ribbon Programme where he developed one of the learning modules for the E-Learning programme.

Fredrick holds a Master’s degree in Gender, Politics and IR (MA), University College Dublin, Ireland and a Bachelor’s degree in Gender and Development Studies, Kenyatta University. His professional interests are embedded in gender equality and social inclusion, minority and marginalized groups’ rights, governance, capacity building, and advocacy and lobbying.

Fredrick Okungu

Daniela Monza is the White Ribbon Accreditation Officer in the Men’s Development Network. She has worked on several initiatives, education programmes, and campaigns focusing on mental health awareness and education, including work on supporting men’s mental health. Lived experience, empowerment, and their development into leadership skills have been core components of her professional journey. Her work is based on needs assessment and has a strength-based, person-centred, and capacity-building aspect.

Her interest is in facilitating the inclusion of marginalised and/or underserved minorities through innovative approaches based on coproduction and engagement of a variety of stakeholders, such as individuals, families, businesses, public sector and not-for-profit organisations. She has led and contributed to the design, delivery and evaluation of training programmes, resources and eLearning materials.

More recently, she has worked on workplace mental health, developing resources to enable organisational leaders and managers in their implementation of mental health supporting policies.

Daniela Monza

Haven Horizons is a national education and research organisation focused on accredited training programmes, promoting engaged and applied research, and the elimination of domestic, sexual and gender-based abuse. Madeline Mc Aleer is a lecturer in domestic abuse and coercive control at the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands, Midwest and the Training, Research and Development Director with Haven Horizons*.

She developed the content for the Level 6 interagency training - Certificate in Reflecting on and Responding to Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control. Madeline delivers the course, a combination of online and in-person learning, to frontline domestic abuse workers, Gardai, social workers, personnel from community organisations, the probation service, court services, and social care students.

Between 1994 and 2004, Madeline was the project development manager with Clare Haven Services overseeing the establishment of frontline domestic abuse services in Co. Clare. In 1999, Clare Haven piloted and delivered relationship education modules to all secondary schools in Co. Clare.

Madeline is committed to challenging the status quo and eliminating domestic abuse and coercive control. Her particular focus is education, preventative initiatives and achieving greater interagency collaboration to close the gaps between practice, research, policy, and legislation.

She is a member of the National Observatory on Violence Against Women, the Association for Criminal Justice Research and Development, and the Clare Local Area Network on Violence Against Women. She is also the Public Participation Network representative on the Clare Joint Policing Committee. * Haven Horizons is a national education and research organisation focused on accredited training programmes, promoting engaged and applied research, and the elimination of domestic, sexual and gender-based abuse.

Madeline Mc Aleer, Haven Horizons

Anne Scully has worked in the sexual violence sector for almost 30 years as a therapist and activist. She is the Manager of Waterford Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre and is currently the Chair of Rape Crisis Ireland.

Anne Scully – Waterford Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre

Fiona Drouet MBE is the founder and CEO of the Scottish charity, EmilyTest. At 18 years of age, her daughter Emily took her own life after being subjected to a relentless campaign of physical, psychological and sexual abuse by a fellow student while living and studying at University. Emily’s tragic death was the result of a series of preventable failures.

Since, EmilyTest has been successfully campaigning to raise awareness of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and stimulate change in policy, professional practice, intervention and support in Scottish education. Working closely with the Scottish Government, Universities, Colleges, Police Scotland, UCU and the third sector, Fiona continues to guide the sector towards safer campuses for all students to live, work and study.

Funded by the Scottish Government, EmilyTest has developed the world's first evidence-based GBV Charter for Colleges and Universities. The first Charter of its kind, it is intended to serve as a key driver in encouraging institutions to continually strive for excellence in the field of GBV prevention and intervention. Ensuring equal opportunity for every student, regardless of the university they study in.

Fiona Drouet MBE

Kara graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2022 with a Master of Arts (Honours) in Social Anthropology. She has worked within gender-based violence prevention since secondary school, being an ambassador for a local Rape Crisis centre.

Whilst at university she was a workshop facilitator for GotConsent, coordinating this initiative from 2021-22, and worked with local authority and government partners. She undertook an internship with the Scottish Government's Young Person's Guarantee division in 2021, working with the Developing the Young Workforce team on equality, diversity and inclusion.

After graduating, Kara worked as EmilyTest Intern for the University of St Andrews' GBV Charter submission. As the Training & Project Development Manager at EmilyTest, Kara leads the coordination, development, and delivery of the charity's training programs, while overseeing charity projects, including the GBV Charter and Panel Assessment process. She also collaborates closely with sector partners to advance both internal and external training resources.

Kara Stewart, Training Manager, EmilyTest