Women’s coalition calls on May for pledges

We hope to see Conservative manifesto promises given necessary time in Parliament.

The End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) has written to ask the Prime Minister, Theresa May, and her Cabinet colleagues to ensure that election pledges the Conservatives made, aimed at improving support and justice when women are abused, are followed through.

After the 8 June election was announced, the EVAW Coalition wrote and asked party leaders what they would do, if elected, to ensure those facing violence were guaranteed to get support; to improve the police and courts response to abuse; to improve the way other public services respond to victims; and to ensure women’s human rights are protected during Brexit.

Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and the LibDem’s responses were published on the EVAW website. To read them click here.

And now, in letters to the Prime Minister and her colleagues which detail the extremely high prevalence of violence against women and girls across the UK – including a million domestic violence incidents a year and an estimated 85,000 rapes – the End Violence Against Women Coalition has asked for pledges on new legislation, as well as a review of the way women’s support services are funded, to remain high priority.

Rachel Krys, co-director of EVAW, said: “During the election campaign, the Conservative manifesto made prominent commitments on new domestic violence legislation and a new commissioner to oversee policy and practice in this area.

“They also promised to review the funding of refuges – recognising that many women’s support services are really struggling.

“In a letter to our Coalition, Theresa May promised to see through the delivery of compulsory Relationships and Sex Education in UK schools – a critical means of preventing violence against women and girls.

“We hope to see all of these receive the necessary time in Parliament and the attention of Cabinet members and officials to make them happen soon.

“Labour also pledged in their manifesto to create a commissioner and to tackle the funding crisis facing our support services.

“We hope that in Opposition they will scrutinise and push forward policy and change in this area at every opportunity.

“Critically, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Greens all promised in their manifestos to maintain the Human Rights Act. Many women, including those who have been failed by the police after experiencing abuse or sexual violence, have relied on the Human Rights Act to hold them to account and push for improvements in the system.

“We expect to see women’s human rights defended and protected no matter what “deals” are struck in the coming days and months, and as Brexit is negotiated,” Krys continued.

“Women’s human rights – the right to live free from violence, the right to physical autonomy, the right to an education, and the right to healthcare including access to safe abortions – must never be negotiated away.”