“They said they couldn't take me because I was on drugs": A report examining whether human rights are negated for women in addiction when seeking domestic violence support and refuge in Ireland

This report centres on determining if human rights are negated for women in addiction when accessing domestic violence support and refuge in Ireland. Researchers from the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice at University College Dublin (UCD) conducted the study. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) funded the research, and the SAOL Project, an integrated education, rehabilitation, advocacy and childcare programme based in North Inner City Dublin, commissioned the report. Participants in the study included women in addiction who had experienced domestic violence and sought support or refuge and professionals who assisted women in addiction during help-seeking interactions. Interestingly, despite an extensive literature review, the researchers discovered that the question had not been previously examined nationally or internationally. This realisation proves shocking given that the findings of the report determined that despite being more susceptible and vulnerable to encountering domestic violence across their lifespan, women in addiction's human rights are negated when accessing domestic violence support and refuge. Additionally, the findings indicate that women in addiction are not consistently treated the same as other females when they seek domestic violence support and refuge. Their addiction often acts as a barrier to them accessing services and assistance that they should be entitled to under several human rights instruments. Ultimately, the study concludes that the negation of human rights is largely unintentional by professionals and services and relates to a systemic statutory failure to recognise the need for dual education about domestic violence and addiction in Irish service provision across a range of services and settings and the absence of targeted domestic violence support and refuge services for women in addiction.