"Violence against women continues to persist as one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world"
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General
Welcome to the End Violence Against Women site
3 million women across the UK experience rape, domestic violence, forced marriage, trafficking, or other violence each year. Click here if you want to know more.
End Violence Against Women (EVAW) is a coalition representing 7 million individuals and organisations across the UK who believe we can and must create a world free from the threat and reality of violence against women and girls.
****Latest news****
Back-down on anonymity for rape defendants!
In the face of loud opposition from EVAW, Rights of Women, Rape Crisis, other women's groups and MPs from all parties, Ministry of Justice Minister Crispin Blunt has signalled a retreat on the Coalition Government's myth-driven proposal to give anonymity to defendants in rape cases. This is a victory for common sense as well as for women's rights as it would have put back efforts to bring rapists to justice and sent a signal that women are not to be believed.
According to reports, the Government is still looking at ways of working voluntarily with the media to ensure suspects in rape cases are anonymous until charge. We do not support any proposal that singles out rape in this way, but believe there are arguments for giving all defendants anonymity prior to charge.
July 2010
Theresa May says violence against women is a priority and extends scheme to support vulnerable women
Home Secretary and Women's Minister, Theresa May, said that violence against women is a priority for her at the Women's Aid Federation England conference. She also extended a pilot scheme supporting women with no recourse to public funds who experience violence.
Click here for full speech.
July 2010
Is the government Measuring Up on violence against women?
Rights of Women report sets out what UK government must do to comply with human rights obligations on violence against women. Click here to download report.
July 2010
Proposal to give anonymity for rape defendants driven by myths & stereotypes
EVAW opposes the Coalition Government's proposal to give anonymity to rape defendants. There are good reasons for giving complainants anonymity to encourage them to come forward. But there are no good, evidenced reasons to give defendants anonymity and the Government should drop the proposal.
We believe such a policy would:
- Further undermine victims' confidence that they will be treated fairly
- Send a signal that victims of rape, overwhelmingly women, are more likely than other witnesses to make false allegations - there is no evidence for this
- Undermine attempts to bring rapists, often serial offenders, to justice as victims often come forward once a defendant has been identified
Instead of putting scarce resources into unevidenced policies, we are calling on the Coalition Government to implement the violence against women and girls strategy published in November 2009.
Up to 90% of rapes go unreported and of the few that are reported, just 6% result in conviction. A funding crisis means that specialist support services are seriously under-resourced - most victims do not have access to a Rape Crisis Centre.
The government must take action to:
- Ensure all victims have access to specialist support services
- Improve the appallingly low conviction rate (just 6% of reported rapes result in conviction) and improve the way victims are treated by professionals
- Prevent sexual violence in the first place
Ask your MP to sign Fiona Mactaggart MP's parliamentary petition (EDM) opposing this change and take part in the debate in the House of Commons on 8th July. Click here to download our briefing.
June 2010
New campaign by Welsh Assembly Government challenges 'harmless' male behaviour
The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a public awareness campaign challenging attitudes and behaviours as part of their violence against women strategy, The Right to be Safe. The campaign asks men to think again about behaviour they may consider to be 'harmless' but is actually abusive.
Click here for the campaign website and videos and here for Welsh Women's Aid response.
June 2010
Action on violence against women absent from Coalition Programme
Whilst both Conservatives and Lib Dems called for a violence against women strategy when in Opposition, the Coalition Programme is very weak on these policies.
We will be asking Theresa May, Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equality, to ensure her government implements and resources the violence against women and girls strategy published earlier this year.
May 2010
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