As a Private Member’s bill is tabled, charities ask for MPs to show support for international standards in tackling violence against women
CHARITIES and volunteer groups have called on the public to put pressure on their MPs to support the ratifying of the Istanbul Convention in UK law.
The call, led by the grassroots volunteer group IC Change, is part of the ‘Change Herstory’ campaign and will be followed by a private member’s bill, sponsored by SNP MP Eilidh Whiteford and will be tabled on 16 December.
The convention is a legal framework that exists to outline the minimum standard for a country’s response to violence against women and girls. It would seek to provide a higher level of prevention of violence against women, protection of women, prosecution of male offenders and monitoring of abusive behaviour.
“Rape Crisis Scotland urges the UK Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention at the earliest opportunity and fully supports the IC Change campaign’s efforts to persuade it to do so.” Eileen Maitland
Speaking to CommonSpace, Eileen Maitland, information and resources spokesperson for Rape Crisis Scotland said: “The Istanbul Convention offers a valuable mechanism for challenging violence against women, rightly framing this as a human rights issue rooted in gender inequality.
“While the UK Government’s signing of the Convention in 2012 was an encouraging and welcome development, it is now time for it to step up to the plate and fully commit to ratification and compliance with its conditions.
“Until this happens, whatever good intentions the UK Government demonstrated in 2012 currently have no legal status and therefore offer very little by way of action and support to women experiencing violence.
“Rape Crisis Scotland urges the UK Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention at the earliest opportunity and fully supports the IC Change campaign’s efforts to persuade it to do so.”
The ‘Change Herstory’ campaign is part of an ongoing UK-wide project by IC Change who are asking members of the public to sign and share their petition on social media platforms. It also calls for individuals to contact their local MPs and share their views along with the hashtags #istanbulconvention and #ICchange up until the date of the private bill’s tabling.
“While the UK Government’s signing of the Convention in 2012 was an encouraging and welcome development, it is now time for it to step up to the plate and fully commit to ratification and compliance with its conditions.” Eileen Maitland
Also known as 'The Council of Europe Convention' on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, the Istanbul Convention was opened for signature on 11 May 2011, in Istanbul, Turkey.
The UK Government has blamed its delayed ratification on trying to run through the UK statute book to make certain all convention demands are compatible with UK law. However, campaigning organisations like Women's Aid and Amnesty International have voiced suspicions that previous and current cuts would make the convention difficult to implement.
Picture courtesy of Anders Lecjak
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