On 25th November 2020, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (White Ribbon Day), Theo Clarke MP for Stafford, signs statement with colleagues calling for governments across the world to prioritise tackling gender based violence.
See text of statement below:
Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic rise in gender-based violence across the world. While each of our countries continues to grapple with the virus our commitment to ending violence, exploitation and abuse targeted at women and girls must not waver. To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, each of us is today calling for Governments across the world to:
- Protect funding for programmes to tackle all forms of gender-based violence both at home and abroad. While each of our countries’ economies have been badly impacted by the pandemic, we cannot balance our spending deficits on the backs of vulnerable women and girls.
- Work together to find new ways to support women and girls at risk of gender-based violence. Whether through bilateral engagement, or using international fora like the United Nations and the European Union, our countries together are worth more than the sum of their parts. The global challenge of gender-based violence requires global solutions.
- Put women leaders at the heart of our response to gender-based violence. By increasing the number of women in decision-making roles in government, international agencies, and peacekeeping operations, we can tackle not just the violence against women and girls, but the regressive values that are the root causes of such violence.
For full more details about the statement and the full list of signatories please click here.
