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25th June 2019
11:58am BST

With the support of Hestia, Women's Aid and An Garda Síochána, Bright Sky hopes to provide a space for women to feel more comfortable reporting incidences of violence - an issue that Murphy has direct experience of herself.
“Without social media I wouldn’t have posted my story so I don’t know where I’d be," she says.
"Women often have trouble picking up the phone and calling a national helpline, especially women who have children because they’re afraid they’ll be taken off them.
"This app is going to empower women, it’s going to safeguard them, and provide them with the necessary tools so they can find the courage to leave that relationship."
Murphy says that the constant development of technology is giving people the ability to recognise signs of risk in a relationship, as well as the confidence to eventually leave. Now, picking up the phone isn't the only option. Education is also coming from new resources like apps such as Bright Sky - and the many, many survivors who are speaking out about their experiences on social media every day. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzIR7VKChgS/“It’s giving people confidence," says Murphy. "It’s giving them the insider knowledge to basically educate themselves on what an abusive relationship is, how to know the signs to look out for, and how to protect themselves."
Murphy points to technology as a key player in Ireland's shifting attitudes towards domestic abuse, but she also credits the Domestic Violence Act for further safeguarding women in all kinds of relationships.
The law made coercive control a criminal offence, by recognising that psychological and emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse, causing serious distress, anxiety, or fear.
It also made it easier for those experiencing domestic abuse in dating relationships to avail of protection within the court system.
"More women are speaking out, but more men are speaking out too which is absolutely brilliant," says Murphy. "There’s also a lot more younger advocates campaigning against violence against women.
"There’s a lot more to be done, but the attention we're now paying to domestic abuse is making it that bit easier.”
You can find out more about the Bright Sky app here. The app will go live on Friday, June 28.Explore more on these topics: