Domestic abuse support information sessions and resources for hair and beauty professionals across Ireland developed by Women’s Aid and Image Skillnet
Thursday, 28 August 2025: Hair, beauty, and spa professionals across Ireland will be offered domestic abuse support information sessions and resources, as part of a partnership launching today between Women’s Aid and Image Skillnet, the Irish Hairdressers Federation, and the Irish Spa & Beauty Association.
Anita Murray, Irish Spa & Beauty Association; Caroline Newton, Image Skillnet; Nicolas Lawless, Irish Hairdressers Federation; Sarah Benson, CEO Women’s Aid, pictured in Brown Sugar, Dublin.
With one in three women in Ireland subjected to domestic abuse, including coercive control, according to EU research, hair, spa, and beauty businesses in local communities across Ireland can play a crucial role in raising awareness among those who need support.
Women’s Aid, a national domestic violence frontline organisation, and Image Skillnet, a not-for-profit training network working in the hair, beauty and spa sector in Ireland, recently hosted a series of webinars to empower hair stylists, and therapists to recognise the signs of abuse, respond in a supportive way, and know how to signpost customers to Women’s Aid services.
As part of today’s launch, these webinars along with downloadable resources and QR codes are available to all hair, beauty, and spa professionals across Ireland to display in their premises.
These are available through the Image Skillnet website – all materials include a QR code that lead women directly to Women’s Aid services.
Salons and spas across Ireland will also be able to order awareness-raising materials from Women’s Aid.
Women’s Aid CEO, Sarah Benson says: “This is a really important partnership for Women’s Aid. It helps us empower more people to help women who are experiencing domestic abuse, and to direct them to our support services. We want every woman in such a position to know that we are here if they need us. Everyday professionals in the hair, spa, and beauty industry offer more than just services; they offer a safe space. Through the webinars, professionals can learn how to spot signs in client behaviour, understand the dynamics of abuse, and discover how to respond with empathy and care. People are often afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing and we want to educate as many people as possible on how they can help.”
Image Skillnet Membership Manager, Caroline Newton added: “Beauty and spa therapists often build long-term, trusting relationships with their clients. And we know that this could be the only safe space a woman has or the only place she feels able to open up due to isolation or not wanting to worry family or friends. This partnership between Women’s Aid and Image Skillnet, along with the Irish Hairdressers Federation and the Irish Spa & Beauty Association gives us a great opportunity to make a real difference and to support our members and give staff confidence and resources to know how to respond if someone does confide in them, or they want to reach out. With a largely female workforce, we also want to ensure our members feel supported at work and can access the necessary supports if they need to.”
The resources available in the Women’s Aid packs include a poster displaying ten common signs of domestic abuse, a leaflet, and a mirror decal that can be displayed in store – they also all include details of the Women’s Aid website and the National 24-Hour Helpline at 1800 341 900.
Also as part of this initiative, Women’s Aid and Image Skillnet are highlighting the new Domestic Violence leave which became law in 2023, and the support materials and services available for employers developing workplace domestic violence and abuse policies on www.DVatWork.ie.
A webinar is available for salon and spa owners and employers about how they can support staff affected by domestic abuse and learn about the significant impact abuse can have in the workplace and the legal obligations introduced by the Irish Government in 2023, including the right to five days of paid domestic violence leave.
Salons and spas can order awareness packs from Women’s Aid by emailing comms@womensaid.ie
The three webinars are available to view on Image Skillnet.
The materials can also be downloaded from Women’s Aid or on Image Skillnet.
NOTES:
- Support is available on the Women’s Aid 24hr National Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900 or at www.womensaid.ie.
- Find your local support service: www.womensaid.ie/get-help/support-services/find-support-locally
- Support for men: National Male Advice Line – mensnetwork.ie.
- Reference: 35% of women in Ireland, more than one in three, have experienced psychological, physical, and/or sexual abuse from an intimate partner: https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2024/eu-gender-violence-survey-key-results
About Women’s Aid
Women’s Aid is a national organisation working to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence and abuse since 1974. They do this by advocating, influencing, training, and campaigning for effective responses to reduce the scale and impacts of domestic abuse on women and children and providing high-quality, specialised, integrated support services.
They operate the 24hr National Freephone Helpline 1800 341 900 and National Instant Message Support Service on www.womensaid.ie, mornings and evenings, 7 days a week. The Women’s Aid 24-hour National Freephone Helpline is a free, non-judgmental, and confidential service that offers support to women subjected to domestic abuse including coercive control. This includes emotional, physical, sexual, or economic abuse by a current or former partner. It offers support in over 240 languages and is a gateway to local independent domestic violence refuges and support services. Women’s Aid also provides a number of regional face-to-face support services.
About Image Skillnet
Image Skillnet are here to support the hair, beauty and spa industry by offering high quality training, upskilling and development as well as networking opportunities for employees and business owners within the industry.
Through Skillnet Ireland, the national talent development agency of Ireland, we co-fund training and development nationwide, meaning that you can gain the skills you need at a reduced cost and in locations that are close to you.
As a member of Image Skillnet, you can upskill yourself and or your staff at a reduced cost compared to what you pay directly, allowing you to develop your business, giving it a competitive edge in this ever-changing, fast-paced industry.