AFTER going viral for publicly accusing her former partner of domestic abuse, Finglas woman Emma Murphy is using her platform to raise awareness on domestic violence issues.
The 26-year-old mother of two told The Gazette about her new campaign, Be That Voice, where she is visiting schools around the country and talking to teens about domestic violence and mental health.
“I started this campaign because a lot of students follow me on social media and a lot of them have been saying they’d love to have me visit their school.
“I decided to name the campaign ‘Be That Voice’ because I used my voice, so it’s become the term that I use when I speak about it [domestic violence].”
Emma has visited two schools so far with a programme she has developed, where she was really well received.
She explained: “I deliver a presentation and then we do some activities. We talk about love and respect and words that would describe a happy relationship, so it’s a nice, positive and lovable experience.”
The reception from students so far has been “unbelievable”, Emma said.
“It was so powerful and when I showed my video, there wasn’t one sound in the place and they all came up to me afterwards to shake my hand and take pictures with me.”
Emma believes she is an ideal person to get this message across to students, because she’s young and relatable.
“I’m not an authority figure – I go in wearing normal clothes, and they relate to me.”
Emma applied for funding from the Government to help deliver her programme but was declined. However, she has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for equipment – a camera, a tripod, a projector, and a merchandise and marketing budget.
She said: “I’m so determined to make this work – I’m looking at these teenagers and they’re looking back at me with conviction, listening to what I’m saying and taking it all in.”
