WOMEN in Donegal have spoken of their terror when gardai charged a man with murder.
He was charged after the body of Iranian mother-of-two Masuma Sohrabi was discovered near an International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre in Galway a fortnight ago.
Her death resulted in a surge of calls to Donegal women’s support groups like The Uplift Project.
Its clinical director Jessica Gallagher said: “We work with women and children living within IPAS accommodation across Donegal. Masuma’s death is a reminder that there is still so much work to be done.”
Independent expert Dr Marie Hainsworth.
Independent expert Dr Marie Hainsworth said: “The death of Masuma is now the fifth violent fatality of a woman or femicide in Ireland this year.”
A woman in a Donegal IPAS told the Donegal News: “Masuma could be me or my children.
“I am a woman who is from a Muslim country and now I am here in Ireland for the last six years. I came to Ireland to escape.
“I hear about Masuma and I have so much sadness. I know how scary things can be and how hard is to really escape. It makes me scared because if this can happen to her, it can happen to others too.
“Who can speak for Masuma and other women? Women are scared to be the next woman in the news.”
Another woman in a Donegal IPAS centre told this newspaper: “I am a single mother of a child with special needs, currently living in IPAS emergency accommodation in Letterkenny.
“IPAS can only do so much, and since there are many of us, it is very difficult. We need measures in place to find better ways of supporting women and children.
“I feel deeply saddened by the case of Masuma Sohrabi, who lost her life. All she wanted was safety and freedom and tragically, it cost her life.”
A third woman told us: “I come from a country where there is much violence. I was in an IPAS when I first came, but now I have my own flat.
“In the IPAS, it was so hard. We have to share a small room with other people we don’t know.
“The woman in Galway needed people to hear her and see her as more than an immigrant and a Muslim.
“She needed people to understand how much stigma affects us even after we are able to get away. She needed a community and professionals that understand.
“We need to speak out for Masuma and all of us who could be the next Masuma.”
Another said: “I came to Ireland from Morocco as a single mother with my children, seeking safety.
“Leaving my home, my family, and everything I knew was one of the most difficult decisions of my life. I made that journey because I wanted to protect my children and give them the opportunity to live free.
“I have worked hard to integrate into Irish society. But living in IPAS accommodation has been extremely difficult for us
“The uncertainty, lack of privacy, and inadequate support have had a serious impact on our mental health and wellbeing.
“The tragic death of a woman living in IPAS accommodation in Galway deeply affected me.
“I could not stop thinking about how easily vulnerable women can be left without the support and protection they need.
“Her story filled me with sadness, fear, and concern for other women who may be suffering in silence.
“I am sharing my story because I do not want other women to suffer.”
Donegal Uplift Project can be contacted via its theupliftproject.ie website.