The 8 June 2024 will mark eight years since the UK signed the Istanbul Convention – the gold standard approach to tackling violence against women at a national level.

The government has not yet ratified the Istanbul Convention – and until it does, the Convention is not legally binding. This is stopping important steps to tackle violence against women.

We need your help to ask your MP to speak out on 8 June and call for the UK to ratify the Istanbul Convention.

The Istanbul Convention is a life-saving piece of legislation for the protection of women and girls against all forms of violence. Ratifying the Istanbul Convention would commit the UK government to following a strong set of minimum standards to protect and support women, prosecute perpetrators and prevent violence against women.

You can find out more about the difference the Istanbul Convention will make here.

Violence against women takes many forms and is widespread in the UK, including domestic abuse, sexual harassment, rape and female genital mutilation (FGM). Despite how common violence is, the response has been inadequate. Women’s services are in crisis and many face closure due to lack of funding – with services for black and minority women particularly affected. Prevention initiatives are rare and prosecution rates low.

We know that many women are still suffering from violence. Social distancing and lockdown measures have had a harmful impact on women and children living with abusive partners.

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.

Please take a moment to contact your MP, asking 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.

If you need some inspiration, here are some template Tweets you can use:

.@[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.

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:

I’ve written to @[YOUR MP’S TWITTER HANDLE] to ask [him/her/them] to speak out on 8 June and call on the UK government to ratify the #IstanbulConvention on #violenceagainstwomen to secure a safe future for women and girls. Will you ask your MP? https://icchange.co.uk/8JuneAction

For greater effect, why not include a photo of you holding our campaign board?