Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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Recommendation:
In the light of the evidence in recent years of very serious cases of failure to protect
women and girls experiencing violence from very serious harm and cruelty and, in
some cases, torture, further action must be taken to ensure that statutory services,
including the police, social services and NHS, understand their duty to protect women
and girls they know to be at risk, and to prevent abuse and torture
Other international work to address VAWG overseas
UK civil society has welcomed the positive display of commitment by the UK Government to
tackling VAWG internationally. This has been demonstrated through the appointment of Lynne
Featherstone MP as the UK’s Ministerial Champion for international VAWG, and by a number
of new policy commitments made across the UK’s international departments to prevent
VAWG. 160 For these positive commitments to translate into real differences in women’s lives,
challenges to effective operationalisation and implementation must be addressed. In particular,
there are concerns about adequate prioritisation, resourcing and cross-government policy
coherence. 161 As international VAWG cuts across so many different areas of work, strategies and
departments, it is vital that there is oversight of all of these processes and steps to ensure that
the range of strategies and policies across government are coherent and mutually reinforcing
for maximum impact.
The VAWG strategy emphasises the work being undertaken by the UK in relation to VAWG at
an international level and this is also referred to in the Government’s 7th Periodic Report. Yet
successive governments have failed to make the link between the UK’s commitments to dealing
with VAWG in the context of international development and any concerns for the women
and girls who arrive here fleeing VAWG. Thus whilst the UK Government works through the
Department for International Development (DfID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(FCO) to tackle VAWG overseas, the UKBA may refuse to protect women in the same situation
who reach the UK, despite their having been affected by VAWG and having been denied state
protection in their country of origin. 162 For example, one of the countries benefitting from
the Foreign Secretary’s initiative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict is the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) which has been called “the rape capital of the world” by the United
Nations. 163 Yet Home Office statistics show that women from the DRC are routinely refused
asylum (between 60-70%). (See Article 9 and Appendix: 35 for further information)
160. See Ministry of Justice (2012) Ministry of Justice Business Plan 2012-2015 http://www.dfid.gov.uk/about-us/how-we-measure-progress/
dfid-business-plan-2011-2015/ and Department for International Development (2012) A New Strategic Vision for Girls and Women: One
Year On. UKAID https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/67331/StrategicVision-OneYearOn.pdf
and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2010) UK Government National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 Women, Peace and Security. FCO,
MoD and DfID: London http://www.stabilisationunit.gov.uk/stabilisation-and-conflict-resources/thematic/doc_details/45-uk-governmentnational-action-plan-on-unscr-1325-women-peace-a-security.html
161. Womankind Worldwide (2011) Briefing for the Westminster Hall Debate on Violence Against Women and Girls, 12 October 2011 http://www.
womankind.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Womankind-Worldwide-briefing-for-Westminster-Hall-debate-on-VAWG-12th-October.
pdf
162. Singer, D. (2013) ‘Women seeking asylum – failed twice over’ in Rehman, Y. et al (eds) Moving in the Shadows: Violence in the lives of
minority women and children. Ashgate: Farnham p 231, pp225-343
163. UN News Centre (2011) ‘DR Congo: UN provides logistical support for rape trial of army general’, 30th March 2011 http://www.un.org/apps/
news/story.asp?NewsID=37943#.UWgysaKG3cI
194 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013