Union joint statement deplores male violence
The TUC and affiliated unions have released a joint statement calling for equality and safety from male violence.
It states: “As trade unionists, we stand united against the epidemic of male violence. We also stand against the disproportionate threat of male violence faced by women, by Black and migrant communities, by LGBT+ individuals and by disabled people.
"Violence against women and girls is rooted in structural inequalities and power imbalances between men and women. Women’s experience of violence is shaped by other factors such as ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, immigration status and disability. Experiencing intersecting inequalities compounds the threat of violence women face.”
The statement calls on the government to:
“1. implement a new mandatory duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment at work and ratify ILO Convention No 190;
2. include migrant women within the Domestic Abuse Bill provisions and ensure safe reporting routes for women with insecure migration status;
3. reverse the cuts to public services and ensure all relevant public sector staff receive enhanced training on preventing and responding to violence against women;
4. provide long-term funding commitments to support the provision of vital, life-saving services for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence that meet the level of need, including specialised by-and-for BAME, LGBT+ and disabled women’s services; and
5. draw up a cross-departmental action plan to tackle the structural inequalities experienced by women, Black communities, LGBT+ and disabled people in work, health, education, housing and justice.”