Thursday, December 11, 2014

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Ratify the Instanbul Convention!

Posted: 10 Dec 2014 06:41 AM PST

istanbul convention, petition, violence against women and girlsAlthough the UK government said it would ratify the Istanbul Convention, it – still – hasn't.

Campaigners Rebecca Bunce and Robyn Boosey have set up a petition asking the UK government to keep its promise to take action to end violence against women and girls by ratifying the European Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence – better known as 'the Istanbul Convention'.

Currently the UK government cannot be held to account for not providing vital services or introducing laws to protect women and girls against violence.

Imagine if you tried to leave an abusive relationship, but were told there was no space for you at the refuge?

Imagine if you had been raped and there was no local rape crisis centre to support you?

If you were subjected to having your genitals mutilated because no one stopped it from happening?

Thousands of women and girls across the UK find themselves in these situations every day.

We have an opportunity to change this.

Ratifying the Istanbul Convention would make the UK government legally obliged to prevent all forms of violence against women and girls, to protect survivors, and to prosecute perpetrators.

This includes rape and physical violence, female genital mutilation (FGM), stalking, forced abortion, so-called 'honour' violence and forced marriage.

Once the government ratified the Convention, it would have to provide general and specialist support services for survivors of violence, such as shelters, sexual violence referral centres, psychological support, free 24/7 helplines and legal aid.

In the UK two women on average are killed by a partner or ex-partner every week.

In England and Wales at least 233 women and girls are raped each day. Thirty-one per cent of women have experienced domestic abuse since they were aged 16.

But despite official figures showing how common violence against women and girls is, only a few efforts to prevent violence against women and girls are made – and the UK’s sexual violence and domestic abuse support services are in crisis.

This needs to change.

Urgently.

The UK government said it would ratify the Istanbul Convention, but it – still – hasn't.

At the moment the government is delaying, with no clear timetable for ratification.

Without ratification the Istanbul Convention can have no legal effect. This means we can't hold the government to account for not taking action to protect women and girls from violence.

And every day the Government delays ratification is another day that women and girls are left without the full protection they deserve.

Fifteen countries – including Denmark, France, and Italy – have already ratified the Istanbul Convention and in these countries the Convention is already driving forward significant practical changes to end violence against women and girls.

The UK signed the Convention in June 2012 and the Prime Minster, David Cameron, announced in January this year that the UK will ratify it.

However, the government still has not done so.

Please sign our petition and tell the UK government you want them to keep their promise to ratify the Istanbul Convention.

You could also contact your MP and ask them to ask why the UK hasn’t ratified the Convention yet.