The government is failing domestic abuse victims. It’s shameful and action is needed now

Eight years ago, the coalition government signed the Istanbul Convention – the UN’s ‘gold standard’ for preventing violence against women and girls – it is a travesty we are yet to ratify it

Eight years ago this week, the coalition government proudly announced they had signed the International Convention on Domestic Abuse, known as the Istanbul Convention. It was an important sounding announcement and yet it meant nothing – after all these years, the government has still failed to ratify the treaty.

UN Women has described the convention as the “gold standard” for preventing violence against women and girls, surely the very least we should aspire to as a nation. However, to meet the convention’s requirements the government must radically change its attitude to the safety and well being of women in our society.

Until it does so, for women in Britain, the convention remains as worthless as the paper it is written on, leaving us lagging behind our neighbours and failing victims of abuse.

Action is desperately needed now. Office of National Statistics figures published in February show that 80 women were killed by their partner or ex-partner between April 2018 and March 2019. This is a horrifying figure which should have shamed this government into substantive action, but instead precious little is being done by those in power.

For years the Conservatives’s cuts have caused huge damage to women’s refuges and services to help those who have survived rape or domestic abuse and there is an urgent need for services to assist survivors of violence in accessing psychological, legal and financial help.

Ratifying the Istanbul Convention would mean that the government have to step up and deliver on the promises they made eight years ago. To provide these services as well as significantly more shelters and a free 24/7 helpline, available to all women, regardless of where they were born. This is absolutely vital to tackling abuse and bringing those who commit these awful crimes to justice.

Just this week we have uncovered the fact that, shamefully, only £1.2m or 1.6 per cent of the funding the government promised at the beginning of May for urgently needed domestic abuse support during the Covid-19 crisis has reached the front line.

Groups such as the Step Up Migrant Women coalition, have done inspirational work to bring attention to the plight of abuse survivors who are living, working and studying in our country, but the Conservatives have refused to listen, leading women who are in desperate need and often in abject poverty totally unable to access lifesaving services such as refuges or safe houses.

Women who survive abuse come from right across our society. They can be middle class professional women, disabled women, women of colour, LGBT+ women, working class women, elderly women, and most heartbreakingly of all, they can be girls. Their stories are heartbreaking, but their voices are so rarely heard.

Labour will not ignore these issues. We will continue to demand that support and services are available to all women who require them.

Parliament compelled government to ratify the Istanbul Convention in a cross-party vote; the government must act and ensure that they are doing all they can so that no victim is left behind. All victims no matter who they are, where they work or where they were born must be able to access support when they are abused.

Jess Phillips is the shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding and Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley