Parliament has passed a bill that legally commits the UK to increasing support for victims of domestic violence. The motion was overwhelmingly supported by 135 MPs, and sends a strong signal that the UK will lead from the front in the fight against gender-based violence.

The bill will officially ratify the Istanbul Convention, an international agreement first pledged in 2012, that provides the framework for fighting violence against women. After several more legislative stages, it will commit the UK to funding services such as refuges, rape crisis centres, 24/7 helplines, and same-sex education. 

It also provides police with the power to remove perpetrators of domestic violence from their homes, even if they own them. Essentially, it makes gender violence a serious offence, recognising how women are disproportionately affected. Other countries that have already ratified the Istanbul Convention include Spain, France, and Sweden.

On average, two women a week are murdered in England and Wales by a previous or current partner. One in three women worldwide experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Yesterday, The Independent published an open letter pushing for the bill to be passed, signed by Emma Watson, Jeremy Corbyn, Tim Farron, and Caroline Lucas.

Only two MPs voted against the bill, both from the Conservative party: Philip Davies and David Nuttall (of no relation to namesake Paul, the new leader of UKIP). Philip Davies spoke for over an hour in an attempt to filibuster the bill. But he failed to stop it going through.

Davies claimed that domestic violence legislation is nothing more than “political correctness”. In response to his speech, survivors of domestic violence that were present in the Commons turned their back in protest.

The newest addition to the Women & Equalities Committee, Davies claimed a year ago that it should never have been created in the first place. On his first day, he suggested that “women” should be removed from the committee’s official title. At this stage it’s unclear if he will push to remove the word “equalities” from its name, too.

The nearly unanimous support for the bill means it will receive a second reading. It’s a fantastic initial victory to all involved in the campaign, and provides an indication that it will meet similar legislative success until it is officially ratified by government. 

Until that point, it’s vital that the bill is continued to be backed by both politicians and the public. As today has shown, it appears that there are still those that do not want gender equality on the agenda

TopicsWomen & GirlsGender Based ViolenceDomestic ViolenceIstanbul Convention

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Demand Equity

UK Passes Bill to Fight Domestic Violence Despite Anti-Feminist Opposition

By James Hitchings-Hales