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Have YOU!!!?? written to your MP? Two days-left-follow Emma’s example.

Published on: Published in: News

emma watsonEmma Watson has written a powerful letter urging the government to ratify the Istanbul Convention – a crucial piece of legislation that, if implemented, would be a milestone step in ending violence towards women.

Governments that agree to the Convention essentially pledge to protect women from violence through various means:

  • training professionals in close contact with survivors;
  • regularly running awareness-building campaigns;
  • addressing the issue in schools; setting up teaching programmes for perpetrators of domestic violence and sex offenders;
  • involving the media in eradicating gender stereotypes.

Watson has called for MPs to vote for the execution of the legislation this Friday, 24 February.

IT’S EASY – TAKES ONLY THE TIME TO MAKE A CUP OF COFFEE!! 

COPY AND PASTE and email now!

David Cameron signed a commitment to executing the legislation in January 2014, saying he hoped to ratify the Convention “in the next few months”. On average, two women in England and Wales are killed every week by a current or former male partner and 85,000 women are raped and more than 400,000 sexually assaulted each year.

Read Watson’s letter in full below:

“Dear Member of Parliament,

“I am writing today to urge you to attend the Report and Third Reading of the Istanbul Convention Bill in Westminster, this Friday 24th February.

“I understand that a minimum of 100 MPs need to show up to support the bill again to ensure it progresses to the next stage.

“No woman should have to live with violence and abuse, yet a startlingly high number of British women will experience this in their lifetime. Despite important progress being made in recent years, violence against women still exists in every community in the United Kingdom. According to Women’s Aid, an estimated 1.2 million women experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales in the last year alone. It should not be this common or this high, indeed, it should not happen at all.

“There is a real chance the Istanbul Convention could change this. It’s the first international treaty to specifically tackle violence and abuse against women and girls. It sets legally binding standards for addressing all forms of violence against women – physical, sexual, emotional or financial – as well as stalking, forced marriage and female genital mutilation. It recognises violence against women comes in different forms and manifestations, and requires a comprehensive and integrated response.

“Four years ago, the UK Government signed this historic Convention, signaling its commitment, but without its ratification, the Convention is just a piece of paper.

“You have a unique opportunity to play a part in ending gender-based violence in our country. I assure you people all over the UK will be grateful to you if you do, because it affects everyone that comes into contact with it. Please be one of the 100 we need to be present on Friday, and take a principled stand on this urgent issue.

“Yours sincerely,

Emma Watson”