A new national awareness campaign to tackle domestic, sexual and gender based violence has been launched by the Tánaiste.

The campaign will see TV and radio ads, a billboard campaign and targeted postings on social media with the message that people are not a bystander, but a witness.

A new website also forms part of the campaign – whatwouldyoudo.ie

Funding of €950,000 has been secured for the campaign, with a further €200,000 from the dormant accounts fund to target localised campaigns around the country.

Speaking at the launch the Tánaiste said, “This campaign calls on us as relatives, friends neighbours, bystanders and witnesses to collectively say that this violence is not right and it must stop. It is an opportunity for each of us to start a conversation about what we would do if we came across situations such as those in the TV and radio ads.”

“It is is about prevention. It is about empowerment and it’s about support. It offers hope and support to victims of such violence and it empowers us as witnesses to such violence to find out what we can do to help stop domestic violence and to support people who are caught up in this most devastating of human experiences.”