I am posting regarding the Istanbul Convention, and the Private Members’ Bill which my colleague Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP will bring to the floor of the House for its Second Reading on 16th December.
The Istanbul Convention’s purpose is to protect women against all forms of violence, and prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic abuse. It provides a comprehensive framework, policies and measures that will provide protection of and assistance to all victims of violence against women and domestic abuse, and helps to promote international co-operation on these issues.
It is for these reasons that I am proud to support the Bill which will allow the United Kingdom Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention, thus bringing the measures in to the legal framework in this country. The UK Government has already signalled their intent to ratify the Convention, and this Private Members’ Bill allows them the Parliamentary time to be able to take forward any legal provisions to allow them to do so.
UN Women have hailed the Istanbul Convention a “gold-standard” for tackling violence against women, and Human Rights Watch called it “ground breaking” – ratifying this convention will mean a lasting national commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.
I believe our society should be one where women and girls can live free from violence and the fear of violence, and that’s why the SNP will vote for this Bill in the House of Commons on Friday 16th of December and help it progress to become law.
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