10 Years Overdue: Call on the Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention on violence against women

A banner saying we are tired of excuses. It's time for action.

Violence against women and girls is devastatingly common across the UK. In the last ten years, over 1220 women were killed by men. You will know some of their names…

Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa, Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry to name a few.

The UK claims to be a leader in tackling violence against women and girls, yet the experiences of women show otherwise. Women are feeling angry and exhausted because their safety is not taken seriously.

We need you. Ask your MP to speak out on the 10th anniversary and call for the Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention without delay.

We’re holding the Government to account and asking them to immediately ratify the Istanbul Convention.

We need your help to get MPs to our Parliamentary Photocall on 8 June to help us do this.

8 June 2024 marks the ten year anniversary since the UK Government signed the Istanbul Convention - a game-changing approach for tackling violence against all women and girls that leaves no woman behind.

Enough is enough. Will you join us?

Call on your MP to attend our Parliamentary Photocall on 8 June and demand the Government ratify the Istanbul Convention without delay.

You can make a big difference by taking small actions!

If you have 2 minutes…

Tweet your MP to attend the Photocall

Find your MP and their handle on Twitter via Tweet Your MP. Copy and paste the Tweet below, attaching our supporting image [PNG 11KB].

  • ​​.@[YOUR MP’S TWITTER HANDLE] it has been 10 years since the UK signed the #IstanbulConvention on #ViolenceAgainstWomen. As my MP, please can you attend this Parliamentary Photocall to call on the Gov to ratify without delay? www.icchange.co.uk/8JunePhotocall #10YearsOverdue
  • Hi @[YOUR MP’S TWITTER HANDLE], as your constituent, can I count on you to call on the Gov to ratify the #IstanbulConvention on #ViolenceAgainstWomen by attending this Parliamentary Photocall by @WomensInstitute and @ICChangeUK www.icchange.co.uk/8JunePhotocall #10YearsOverdue

You can also write your own Tweet if you prefer. Make sure you include the hashtags #10YearsOverdue, our Twitter handle @ICchangeUK, and our supporting image [PNG 11KB].

Emailing or writing a letter to your MP can have a much bigger impact than a Tweet and only take 5-10 minutes.

Example of a tweet asking an MP to stand up for women.

If you have 5-10 minutes…

Email or write a letter to your MP inviting them to attend the Parliamentary Photocall

  1. Find your MP and their email or postal address via the Parliament website by typing in your postcode.
  2. Download our template letter/email [Docx, 124kb] to help you get started, but do add your own twist to it. To stand out more, write a handwritten letter using the text or your own (if you are able to post it).
  3. Add your personalised message. The more you can talk from the heart, the more impact your words will have.
  4. Send that email or letter to show your support for women and girls across the UK!

 

After emailing/writing to your MP

If you’ve written to your MP, you can help spread awareness on social media. Here is a sample Tweet you can use and our MP invite supporting image [PNG, 11KB]:

  • I’ve just asked my MP to call on the Gov to ratify the #IstanbulConvention on #ViolenceAgainstWomen without delay by attending this Parliamentary Photocall by @WomensInstitute and @ICChangeUK. Could you ask yours? icchange.co.uk/10YearsOverdue #10YearsOverdue

Thank you for helping us to create a safer world for women and girls!