This is a plea born out of urgent concern. Women in Ireland are frequently, week after week, being left vulnerable to attacks, and in some tragic cases, these have resulted in murder. This is more than a statistic, it is a harsh reality for women living in the very place they call home.

The law in Ireland currently allows for registries to purchase firearms, yet there is no similar registry to allow women to access and carry pepper spray for personal defense. Pepper spray could provide a non-lethal means to counteract these senseless and violence acts.

According to statistics from Women's Aid, an Irish organization from domestic violence, there were 22,341 reports of domestic violence against women in Ireland in 2020, which marks a detrimental increase of 43% compared with 2016 (source: Women's Aid Impact Report 2020). Women, thus, are left asking - what more can we do to protect ourselves?

The right to personal security is fundamental. It's time for the Irish Legal framework to respond to this ongoing crisis more empathetically. Legalizing the registered use of pepper spray for self-defense is a progressive step towards ensuring women feel safer and less vulnerable in Ireland.

Join us in this campaign to advocate for the legalized use of registered pepper spray as a viable mechanism of self-protection. Sign this petition today and make a stand for women's rights to safety and self-defense in Ireland.

Laura & Dez