Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has launched the ‘Signs of Hope’ campaign to encourage survivors of sexual violence in Ireland to reach out to their 24-Hour National Rape Crisis Helpline. Until mid-November, real messages from survivors of such abuse will be displayed on billboards across Dublin, as well as platformed on social media and radio.

Launched on October 14, the ‘Signs of Hope’ campaign centres the words of real survivors of sexual assault in an attempt to encourage the silent majority of victims in Ireland to reach out for help. According to a national survey conducted last year by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), 40% of people in the country have been impacted by sexual violence, with many saying they didn’t know or think they could access support.

Through billboards all over Dublin, the ‘Signs of Hope’ campaign displays eight direct messages from survivors who have benefitted from accessing support, aiming to provide hope, empowerment and solidarity to those who are struggling in silence.

“What someone did to you does not determine who you are,” one message reads. Another says: “You can stop the silence. Your voice is your power.”

These messages will also be shared through radio ads on national stations and social media posts on various platforms. Throughout the four-week duration of the campaign, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre aims to encourage at least one additional person every hour to call the 24-hour National Helpline and get the support they need.

 

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In 2023, the helpline received almost 19,000 contacts, a figure that represents only a small proportion of the one in two women and one in four men in Ireland who will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. They have already received calls and messages from survivors who have never told another person about their experience and were inspired by the campaign to reach out.

One of the eight survivors lending their voice to the campaign is LGBTQ+ activist Chris Rooke, who said: “I think it’s important for survivors who are just beginning to come to terms with or understand what they have experienced can hear from other survivors who have already done some of that work.

 

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“When we see stories of sexual violence in the media or discussed wildly, they are normally in the context of cases that have been through the legal system,” he added. “These stories reflect a route that is important, but not the one that everyone may want to take or feel they have access to, particularly for members of marginalised communities, including the queer community but also the traveller community, immigrants, among others.

“In those cases, the support from and path-forging done by other members of their community can be even more important to individual survivors and I’m hopeful that this campaign could be a step in bringing some more of this to more survivors.”

For more information about the ‘Signs of Hope’ campaign, visit the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre website here.