Join the Call to Ratify the Istanbul Convention
Robyn Boosey, the co-director of the IC Change campaign, blogs for FiLiA about the Istanbul Convention, and how you can join the call for change.
On 8th June 2012, the UK signed the Istanbul Convention – the gold standard approach to tackling violence against women at a national level.
Click here to r
ead FiLiA’s report on the Istanbul Convention
By KW
But eight years later, the UK Government still fails to ratify the Convention – that is, to integrate its principles into UK law. Until it does, the convention is not legally binding, meaning that thousands of women a year are being let down by current UK provisions around violence against women.
That’s why we’re asking FiLiA’s community to help. We need you to write to your MP and urge them to speak out this 8th June, calling for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention.
The Istanbul Convention is a world first in legislation for the protection of women and girls against all types of violence. Ratifying the Convention would bind the UK government to fulfilling a strong set of minimum requirements to protect and support women, prosecute perpetrators and prevent violence against women from happening in the first place.
To find out more about the principles enshrined in the Istanbul Convention, you can read this article from IC Change.
Sadly, we know that violence against women takes many forms and is widespread in the UK, Women suffer domestic abuse, sexual harassment, rape and female genital mutilation (FGM) in their thousands – and even the largest estimates are likely to be on the low side because of the difficulty of collecting data on these sensitive, secretive issues.
Yet despite how common violence is, the response has been inadequate. A decade of cuts has left many women’s services in crisis, with services for black and ethnic minority women hit especially hard. Prevention initiatives are rare and prosecution rates low.
During the pandemic, we know that many women are still suffering from violence. The social distancing measures mean that women and children feel more trapped than they did before, and many women’s refuges are at capacity.
Now more than ever, we need comprehensive legislation to support women who experience violence; to prosecute perpetrators; and importantly, to strengthen action to prevent abuse from happening in the first place.
So please take 5 minutes to write to your MP. Ask them to speak out on 8 June and call for the UK to ratify the Istanbul Convention.
How you can help
If you have 5 minutes…
Tweet your MP to tell them why it’s important to speak out on 8 June and push for the UK government to ratify the Istanbul Convention.
Find your MP and their handle on Twitter via Tweet Your MP. Make sure you include the hashtags #ratifyIC and #IstanbulConvention, our Twitter handle @ICchangeUK, and attach our supporting image here.
Please feel free to use one of these Tweet templates:
@[YOUR MP’S TWITTER HANDLE] it has been 8 years since the UK signed the #IstanbulConvention. As your constituent I ask you to call on the government to ratify the Istanbul Convention without delay by taking this @ICChangeUK action: https://icchange.co.uk/8JuneAction. #RatifyIC
Hi @[YOUR MP’S TWITTER HANDLE], I am your constituent. Can I count on you to ask the government to ratify the #IstanbulConvention on 8 June by taking this action: https://icchange.co.uk/8JuneAction? #RatifyIC @ICChangeUK
If you have 15 minutes…
Email or write to your MP asking them to speak out on 8 June and push the government to ratify the Istanbul Convention.
We have drafted a template letter/email that you can download to help you get started, but do personalise it as much as possible. The more you can talk from the heart, the more impact your words will have.
To stand out more, write a handwritten letter (if you are able to post it). You can find your MP’s email or address on the Parliament website.