Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland made a heartfelt appeal today in support of a new campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence in the United Kingdom.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland made a heartfelt appeal today in support of a new campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence in the United Kingdom.
“We’re all here because we know the pain, suffering and cost domestic abuse and violence causes to men, women and children,” she told the parliamentary launch for ‘UK Says No More’, organised by Hestia, a London-based charity which provides refuges for victims of abuse.
As the Secretary-General underlined that tackling violence against women would be one of her “personal priorities” in office, she reminded people that everyone has a “choice” to support efforts to eliminate violence against men, women and children.
“Global violence so often starts with violence in the home,” she said.
“This isn’t just a moral imperative, it’s an economic development essential too. If you look at those countries that are doing well economically, a big driver is the education of women and girls. If you continue to allow women to be abused and disregarded then that has a huge impact on the economic health and wellbeing of our world.”
Domestic violence is estimated to affect an average of one in three women across the world. However in the United Kingdom, between 2003 and 2010, incidents of domestic violence incidents fell by 64% – to roughly one in six women.
“Can you imagine how different our Commonwealth would be if we were able to make such a reduction in violence all the way through the Commonwealth?” the Secretary-General posited.
“For me, this has been a passion for a really long time, and I know it is going to take all of us coming together – government, local government, NGOs, philanthropists and individuals – to end domestic violence,” she said.
"Domestic violence affects 1 in 3 women across the world" - @PScotlandCSG warns at @UKSAYSNOMORE #UKSAYSNOMORE pic.twitter.com/GAhwzHGUs8
— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) May 17, 2016
The ‘UK Says No More’ campaign, led by Hestia, seeks to bring together charities, voluntary and statutory agencies in the UK to raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault.
Hestia provides domestic abuse refuges across London, running 34 safe houses and assisting more than 600 women and children every day.
The event at the House of Commons on 17 May saw speeches from Karen Bradley, the UK’s Minister for Preventing Abuses and Exploitation, Hestia’s Chief Executive Patrick Ryan and Head of Policy Pamela Zaballa, and Jane Randel, who first co-founded the ‘No More’ campaign in the United States.
