The Sophia Network is proud to support the IC Change campaign for the UK Government to end violence against women in all its forms, and ratify the Istanbul Convention as a matter of urgency.

Signed in June 2012 by the British government, the Istanbul Convention on Violence Against Women offers a crucial framework and actions to help eradicate violence against women and girls in all its forms. By not ratifying it and making it legally binding, our government is only paying lip-service to the idea that women should have lives free from violence. This is not acceptable.

The statistics speak for themselves; 233 women are raped every day and well over 400,000 are sexually assaulted each year in England & Wales. One in five women in England and Wales has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16. (Statistics are from Women’s Aid website here).

The Sophia Network exists to champion the value and full equality of every woman and man inside and outside the Church. Women will not be fully equal or valued until they can live a life free of the threat of violence. We strongly urge the Government to make ratifying the Istanbul Convention an urgent priority.

 

http://blog.sophianetwork.org.uk/