WUNRN
UK – Question if Government Is Doing Less at Home than Abroad on Violence Against Women & Girls
19 February 2015 - The Joint Committee on Human Rights
warns in their new report that the Government could harm its international
reputation by failing to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing
and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul
Convention).
Report: Violence against women and girls
Report: Violence against women and girls (PDF)
Inquiry: Violence against women and girls
Joint Committee on Human Rights
The Committee concludes that the Government’s progressive work on tackling
violence against women and girls abroad is not translating into its domestic
policy, despite its Violence against Women and Girls Action
Strategy and the Home Secretary’s personal commitment to the issue.
Refuge spaces and specialist services
The Committee warns that failure to provide adequate refuge spaces and
specialist services for victims of violence against women and girls
demonstrates the difficulty for the Government in fulfilling its international
obligations under the Convention when decisions over commissioning of certain
services has been devolved.
Cultural issues
The Committee also expresses alarm at the prevalence of violence against
women and girls across many cultures in the UK today, and heard troubling
evidence from many minority groups that represent women with particular needs.
The Committee was concerned at the failings of the Government to reach and
protect these victims.
Immigration, education, training and media
The Committee also:
- argues that women in the asylum
system face a culture of disbelief and double discrimination as asylum
seekers and women. It expresses concern that current Home Office
policies can leave them destitute and that this in itself leads to women
being at greater risk of being a victim of violence;
- says that, whilst the Government
has undertaken good work to raise awareness in this area, schools should
play a greater role and include issues of violence against women and girls
within the PSHE curriculum;
- has concerns that front line
professionals, including the police and judiciary, are not proactively
improving their cultural literacy in dealing with these crimes, in
particular with regard to the nature of coercive control;
- welcomes the steps the Government
has taken to engage with the media and with public awareness campaigns to
counteract the sexualised portrayal of women but, noting that the BBC
declined invitations to give evidence to this inquiry, concludes that the
media themselves are not doing as much as they should;
- recommends a further investigation
into the role of women, and equality between the sexes, across many
cultures in the UK today; and
- recommends the Government look
again at the payment of universal credit to couples because of its
concerns that it could put women subject to domestic violence at
risk.
Dr. Hywel Francis MP, Chair of the Committee, Said:
“Barely a week goes by without a news story about domestic violence, rape,
sexual abuse or some form of violence against women. We commend the Government
for the commitment it has shown to tackling these crimes but emphasise that the
work to prevent these crimes must not let up. We should not forget that when
the police do not conduct proper risk assessments, or women are turned away
from refuges due to lack of space, women’s lives can be in serious danger.
Gender inequality is prevalent across many cultures in the UK and this is a
cause and consequence of violence against women. The portrayal of women as
victims of violence is deeply embedded in cultural stereotypes, in the
depiction of women in the media and in how women are treated in the asylum
system. This has to stop.
We recommend further work be carried out into equality between the sexes within cultures in the UK."