Third time lucky?

Another meeting with the Minister and another failure to get an answer on whether or not she intends to hold true to her promise of a cross-Governmental strategy to end violence against women.

We met with Harriet Harman and Barbara Follett, Ministers for Women, yesterday to discuss what women’s organisations want the Government to focus on over the coming year. When asked whether a Government strategy to end violence against women was still a priority for the Minister, she disregarded the question entirely.

It appears the Government’s priority is now focussed on addressing violence against women as individual issues. For instance they have a UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking and two days ago the Home Office released its Violent Crime Action Plan which deals with some aspects of domestic violence, rape and honor-based violence. So why are they so averse to giving women their basic human rights by putting together a holistic strategy to end violence against women, encompassing not only allocated funding for victims and survivors support services but also looking at ways to prevent violence in the first place.

It looks as though we have our work cut out for us with this campaign.

If you are interested in helping to lobby on this issue please send your name, number and email address to publicaffairs@nfwi.org.uk and please state whether or not you are a WI member.

Noelle Virtue