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People in Parliament Square, London, taking part in a demonstration against gender violence. Picture date: Tuesday March 16, 2021.
GOVERNMENT plans to ratify a gender violence treaty has been described as “bittersweet” by campaigners as ministers seek to exclude migrant women from key protections.
Over 80 women and human rights groups have signed a letter urging Home Secretary Priti Patel to ratify the Istanbul Convention, an international charter for the protection of women and girls, in full.
It comes after Ms Patel confirmed in a written statement last month that the government is planning to pass the treaty into law by the end of July, a move described by campaigners as a “big step towards improved support for survivors, more effective prosecution and gender equality in the UK.”
Secret consultation documents finally released after the Morning Star’s two-year freedom of information battle show the Home Office misrepresented public opinion, claiming support for policies that most respondents actually strongly criticised as dangerous and unfair, writes SOLOMON HUGHES
