Today ICchange is telling Home Secretary Theresa May to ICchange Your Tune – we hope you can join us.
“The UK Government has been promising us that it will ratify and implement the Istanbul Convention to help end violence against women for over three years. We recognize that they have already taken steps towards ratification, but we need all of the changes that the Istanbul Convention sets out – whether 24 hour helplines for victims and survivors, adequate numbers of refuges or ensuring the laws apply to citizens when overseas.
For the past year the Government has been a broken record sending out the same lines saying why it has stalled. So ICchange is reminding them “A Change is Gonna Come”…
Today parliament comes back for a new year and legislation can be laid again. “ICchange Your Tune” is giving some musical motivation to lay the final bits of legislation needed to ratify the Istanbul Convention and ensure that we have a strong infrastructure of services to prevent violence against women, protect those experiencing violence and prosecute perpetrators.
We need a system where all women can thrive, not struggle to survive.”
Spokesperson for Women’s Aid:
“We urge the Government to act on its earlier commitments and ratify the Istanbul Convention. The Government must meet its commitment to women’s human rights, particularly the commitment to ensuring there is a national network of sufficient refuge space to support women fleeing domestic violence. Until and unless the Government does this, the human rights of women in the UK cannot be adequately protected.”
Chris Green UK Director White Ribbon Campaign and UN Leader of Men:
“White Ribbon wholeheartedly support ICchange in promoting the ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention. As one measure to prevent violence, the Istanbul Convention specifically calls on Governments to work with Men and Boys to challenge male violence against women and girls.
Ratifying and implementing the Istanbul Convention would be the biggest step for 10 years in moving to end violence against women and girls.”