Groundbreaking convention to develop plan of action to reduce and prevent the harmful impacts of pornography on Irish society

Women’s Aid and Community Foundation of Ireland bringing experts and key individuals, agencies and civil society groups together to plan next steps recommended in research, which showed that a failure to tackle the harms of pornography is undermining equality and putting new generations of young people at risk

22nd May 2025: National and international experts will attend a groundbreaking two-day Strategic convention to examine how society can reduce and prevent the harmful impacts of pornography on gender equality, healthy sexual development and online safety, convened by Women’s Aid and the Community Foundation of Ireland, this week.

Current Gender Advisor to the G7 and former Tánaiste and MEP, Frances Fitzgerald, will chair the event, which takes place at the Sheraton Hotel in Athlone on Thursday and Friday, 22nd May and 23rd May.

The event will involve over 50 delegates from key agencies, civil society groups and individuals from a wide range of areas including domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, men’s leadership and development, children’s rights and children’s safety, education, online safety, consent programmes, youth organisations, migrant rights agencies and researchers.

The Strategic Convention is informed by recent research, commissioned by Women’s Aid and funded by Community Foundation Ireland, which revealed that much of what features in mainstream pornography constitutes sexual violence.

Experts contributing at the Think-In include, Dr Fiona Vera Gray, Professor of Sexual Violence and Co-Director of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit at London Metropolitan University; and Gemma Kelly, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at CEASE UK, which seeks to expose and dismantle the commercial and cultural forces driving all forms of sexual exploitation in the UK.

There will also be key inputs from speakers from Unizon Sweden, which represents over 140 Swedish women’s shelters, young women’s empowerment centres, and other support services; and MÄN Sweden, a non-profit organisation that works to advance gender equality, combat men’s violence and redefine masculinity.

The Strategic convention is a response to the recommendations in ‘Facing Reality: Addressing the Role of Pornography in the Pandemic of Violence against Women and Girls’ by The Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy Institute (SERP), commissioned by Women’s Aid and funded by Community Foundation Ireland.

Speaking ahead of the Convention, Women’s Aid CEO, Sarah Benson, said:

“This report finds that most mainstream pornography depicts high levels of sexual and physical aggression against women, which actively distorts and breaks the boundary between ‘sex’ and ‘sexual violence’. Pornography has a hugely negative impact on young people and society more generally. It shapes the sexual expectations of children and young people in ways that normalise harmful, coercive, dangerous and abusive behaviours. It reinforces misogynistic and disrespectful stereotypes and undermines work on consent, on safe, healthy, and respectful relationships and towards gender equality.”

Denise Charlton, CEO of Community Foundation Ireland added: 

“Commercial sexual exploitation, on and offline, not only normalises violent acts but also hijacks childhood. The evidence tells us the healthy development of our children is being disrupted by those intent on profiting from violence and abuse. Ending sexual violence is a priority for the Community Foundation, its philanthropic donors and partners like Women’s Aid. Together, we make strategic interventions to inform and shape effective policies. This convening will allow us to learn from national and international experts in order to inform next steps.”

Set to be attended by key individuals, agencies, and civil society groups, the gathering will see delegates share knowledge, experiences, ideas, strategies, and determine concrete actions, to combat the harms of pornography over the immediate and longer term in Ireland. The event will be a closed session operating under the Chatham House Rules.