CHOOSE RESPECT: ‘We are encouraging more people to put their hand up’

A group made up of businesses, sports clubs and individuals in Nenagh has launched a campaign called Choose Respect this week.

 It aims to encourage people, young and old, to call out unwanted advances, harassment and abuse against women in public.

 The campaign was the brainchild of Denis Finnerty and Marney O’Regan, who felt compelled to act following the death of Aisling Murphy earlier this year. 

They called a community meeting and created a campaign to raise awareness of the issues women face in public daily. 

“We decided to have a town campaign called Choose Respect.

Can we change behaviours? Can we change the way people think? We were very specific that it’s not all men who behave like this, but all men can play a part,” said Mr O’Regan.

All over Nenagh, in shop windows, sports clubs and other buildings, there are yellow posters with the message Make a positive change in our community.

They ask people to scan the QR code on the poster and read the website it links to. The group also have leaflets, bookmarks, and beer mats for the pubs.

In the new year, they hope to launch a social media campaign. 

They say they are aware of what women go through and that men primarily cause those issues. However, men can also have a role in the solution.

Mr Finnerty said he thinks men are starting to realise that. 

“We are in a time where men are starting to see the damage these acts of aggression cause. 

“We want to show men are not adversaries but allies,” said Mr Finnerty.

 BYSTANDER INTERVENTION

The campaign is based on the Bystander Intervention Programme at UCC, which they had heard about on the radio and advocated by Professor Louise Crowley.

 The programme educates students to recognise unacceptable behaviour and encourages them to intervene.

 It is based on a psychological phenomenon called the Bystander Effect, which suggests the more people are involved, the less likely an individual is to act.

“It cemented what we wanted to say. So we took that programme, and we created our own Choose Respect,” said Mr O’Regan.

 To develop the campaign, they interviewed women in businesses and sports clubs in Nenagh about the challenges they face.

 Mr O’Regan said some of those issues were making fake calls, being catcalled, carrying keys between their fingers, or taking a different route home. 

“I have three daughters myself, and they have all experienced these as well,” said Mr O’Regan.

Another area the group would like to focus on is group chats. Mr O’Regan said inappropriate messages and photos are often shared, and they would like people to call that out. 

“If a group of people are in a chat or group and somebody posts an inappropriate image, a video or a joke and you are uncomfortable with it, we are encouraging people to put up their hands and say that doesn’t represent our school, it doesn’t represent our club it doesn’t represent our business please don’t do that again, he said.

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SCHOOLS

The campaign was launched during a Monday talk by Prof Louise Crowley to local students. 

The students and Prof Crowley discussed the campaign and the unacceptable behaviour it addresses. 

He said the students were very capable of recognising it, with most of the female students having experienced unwanted attention.

Mr Finnerty said the students’ willingness to engage with the campaign gives him hope for the future.

“The confidence in the younger generation is a sight to behold,” said Mr Finnerty. 

CHANGE

Noelle Morrissey, who runs Easons in Nenagh, is an ambassador for the group. She said she became involved at the community meeting when she recognised some of the behaviours. 

She said as a mother and a business owner, she felt she could and should help. “I fully supported what they were trying to do. 

They were trying to get businesses, schools and sports clubs in the community to come together and make people, particularly men, be more respectful in their attitudes to women,” said Ms Morrisey.

Ms Morrissey said she hopes more people get involved, and the culture can change to make the town safer. 

“It won’t be easy cultural change takes generations, but if there’s some moment in one or two people’s lives where they think ok, I shouldn’t do that then it’s a win-win,” she added. 

But Mr O’Regan said that is a choice people will have to make. 

“That’s where the choice comes in. You can sit back and say well, it’s not my problem or you can say you know what?

I’m going to be part of that community, I’m going to put my hand up and say that’s not acceptable in Nenagh in our sports club in our business, and we are encouraging more people to put their hand up,” said Mr O’Regan.