Apparently Wales doesn’t count….
By Louise Livesey | 19 February 2009, 09:48
The Home Office’s integrated strategy on violence against women which is being drawn up as we speak will not apply to Wales. Secretary of State for Wales, Paul Murphy, has decided Wales should not be included because it already has Domestic Abuse strategy (obviously the only violence against women is domestic violence!). This is also despite problems with the said strategy like it doesn’t meet the UN recommendations on domestic violence policies and ignores all other forms of violence.
End Violence Against Women is asking for people to lobby Paul Murphy - urging him to ensure that Wales is included in the UK’s Violence Against Women Strategy. You can do this using the response form on his website.
Update from EVAW - “We have drummed up a huge amount of support for a joint-up strategy to tackle violence against women in Wales . We now need to redirect our lobbying efforts to the Welsh Assembly Government.
Please refrain from sending any more emails to the Secretary of State, and instead, voice your concerns to Brian Gibbons AM, the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government (brian.gibbons@wales.gov.uk).” For more information (in answer to the questions) the stuff I’ve got is from the Swyddog Polisi / Policy Officer, Wales Women’s National Coalition (Women’s Voice). I’d suggest people contact them for the latest information.
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Feeds
Jake said:
I think we need to be careful about this. While he may just be being a misogynistic fuckwitt this may be more a tactical move. It may have something to do with avoiding funding or resources being centralised in England
Posted on 19 February 2009 at 10:04 AM
Louise Livesey said:
I'm all for regional devolution, Jake, but not at the expense of women's safety. If they want to find a way to challenge centralisation of strategy, that's fine, but pick an issue which doesn't involve women dying to make the point.
Posted on February 19, 2009 10:12 AM
Jake said:
you missed my point completely.of course I don't think devolution should be at the expense of women dying.
My point was if this strategy is centralised in England then Wales may very well not get the money or resources it needs to stop women dying.
Posted on 19 February 2009 at 10:22 AM
Chaos_monkey said:
Hi Louise
Thanks for this!
Is it just Wales that's being omitted from this, or will it end up being an England-only policy do you know?
Is there a link you could post to this integrated strategy? I've had a look on the Home Office website and I'm failing to find anything about it.
I'd like to read more about it, but if this decision is going to disadvantage one country over any others, then I'll certainly be complaining!!
Posted on 19 February 2009 at 4:23 PM
Hannah said:
Hello!
It would be a different story if Wales had opted out of the Westminster strategy in order to develop its own, Wales-specific strategy. There is a very good argument to be made for Wales having its own strategy due to many of the services that would need to be on board being devolved.
However, that is not what's happening here. There is no clear, adequate, Wales-specific violence against women strategy. The Domestic Abuse strategy (which is ungendered, and doesnt cover everything, as you said) is woefully inadequate. That's the problem.
At the last UN Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee found the UK's lack of an integrated VAW strategy 'most alarming for a developed country'. Now Westminster is sorting this out and Wales is lagging behind. We have been told that the Assembly will soon be consulting on a 'new strategic plan' for the Domestic Abuse strategy. But that's hardly the same!
It's not dissimilar to the Gender Equality Duty charade. Our public bodies have the same duty to promote gender equality etc. as England public bodies - but then Wales decided we wanted to develop our own Wales-specific strategies. Which have yet to materialise. Still.
So yes. We would welcome a devolved strategy, one that joined up all WAG departments and took devolution into account. But we have been offered no such thing. Hence the campaign. Thank you for your support :)
Hannah
Wales Women's National Coalition
Posted on 21 February 2009 at 10:14 AM