About us

History of the Project

From our work at Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, we recognise that sexual violence is a serious public health and human rights issue with both short and long-term consequences for those affected and for those who support them. 

In 2019, DRCC convened a group of campaigners, civil society leaders and experts to discuss the possibility of a long-term campaign to reframe how we understand and talk about consent in Ireland. We described it as going from a Moment to a Movement – changing from a piecemeal, reactive approach in the aftermath of sexual violence to a widespread cultural change which would reduce the level of sexual violence over time, but also spotlight the positives effects of consent.

There was overwhelming agreement in the group on the need for a cultural shift in relation to our ability to discuss and understand consent, relationships and sex in Ireland and the need to support a national conversation on these important issues. Building on progressive social change achieved in the last decade, a dedicated campaign should seek to achieve culture change in relation to consent underpinned by comprehensive research and a mobilising programme of work.

With funding from a number of foresighted donors, we commissioned a comprehensive piece of research to get a picture of society’s understanding, beliefs and challenges when it comes to consent. Carried out by Language, Opinion and Karen Hand, this landmark research was launched in Oct 2021.

From here we established a staff team, conducted a second significant piece of research, working with Language, Opinions and Lorraine O’Rahilly, and built the We-Consent campaign.

We-Consent is a long-term national campaign to inform, educate and engage with all members of society about consent.  This is the first ever national campaign on broadening understanding and practice of consent that is targeted across all age groups in Ireland, and among the first globally. This campaign is for everyone- all people, all situations, all relationships.

It strives to work with all people and all communities to build lasting change which is rooted in real people’s lives and experiences. It is about cultural change, rather than policy or legal change. It is bottom-up change that everyone can play a role in – right now. The aim is to get people in Ireland talking about, and developing a meaningful understanding of, consent.

If we do this together, we will recognise that consent is not something you get, it is something we do together. We will recognise that consent is about agreement between people, rather than a permission granted by one person to another.  

If this campaign is successful, we will have grown as a society, where we all fully recognise that there is no excuse for abuse of power, abuse of vulnerable people, or for sexual activity which does not have consent from all parties. We will not tolerate sexual violence or the environment which supports it. We will have happier, healthier relationships and people.

We will do this together.

Advisory Group

We-Consent is supported by a diverse Advisory Group comprised of partners, collaborators and other key stakeholders from across Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence organisations, NGOs and civil society, academics, researchers, communications professionals, those from or working with marginalised communities, and survivors of sexual violence to develop, build and run the consent campaign.

Our Advisory Group is chaired by Sarah Monaghan, Consent Project Manager and is made up of:

• Sarah Monaghan
• Yvonne Woods
• Rachel Morrogh
• Ann Marie Gill
• Denise Charlton
• Lavinia Kerwick
• Chris Rooke
• Moninne Griffith
• Brian Killoran
• Michael Kiernan
• Orla O’Connor
• Linda Cullen
• Bríd Meighan
• Cliona Saidléar
• Antoinette C Doran
• Bridget Winters
• Daniel Fitzpatrick
• Ailbhe Smyth
• Sean Cooke
• Catriona Crowe
• Barbara Condon
• Brian Sheehan
• Michael Curran
• Conor Hammersley
• Colette Murphy
• Bukky Adebowale

Governance

We-Consent is a Dublin Rape Crisis Centre Project.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre Limited is a registered charity and we are compliant with the Charities Governance Code.

• Registered charity: CHY8529
• Registered company: 147318
• Registered Charity Number (RCN): 20021078 

We work hard to be completely transparent to our funders and supporters regarding funds raised and money spent.  You can find our details on the Companies Registration Office Website using our company number 147318.