Hundreds of people took part in a “Walkout for Women” on Wednesday aimed at raising awareness of violence against women and girls.
The group behind the move asked people to leave home, work or wherever they are for 15 minutes at 11am.
Organiser Monica Murphy said: “We don’t have final numbers yet, but there were well over 1,000 people in Waterford and we’re getting pictures from Dublin, Carlow, and across the UK.
“Forty women have been killed since Ashling Murphy was murdered in 2022, so this is something that has to be raised.”
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People taking part in the walkout shared photographs and videos using the hashtag “#WalkOutForWomen”.
Fine Gael TD Grace Boland mentioned the walkout in the Dáil and Murphy also praised Fianna Fáil TD Mary Butler and Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane for their support.
TDs and Senators, including Ministers Helen McEntee and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, took part in the walkout at Leinster House.
Large groups left their workplaces and schools in Co Waterford while another big group took part at South East Technological University Carlow.
The Irish Countrywomen’s Association Waterford, the Men’s Development Network, the National Women’s Council and Waterford GAA were among the groups backing Walkout for Women.
Women’s Aid (Oasis House) and the Men’s Development Network in Waterford are designated charities for the group.
While she will “let the dust settle” on the walkout, Murphy hopes to stage it again.
She said the group had held discussions around forming a charity.
However, they felt there were enough charities working against domestic violence, so one idea is to form an online hub directing people to different resources around “prevention, protection and punishment” for victims of domestic abuse.
