Registered women’s charity, Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI), is calling upon the government to prioritise prevention against domestic abuse, and other crimes that incite Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), as ‘Orange the World’ 2024 draws to a close.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates that approximately 2.1 million women are victims of domestic abuse per year and that between two and three women each week are killed by a current or former partner.
Refuge reports that, in the UK, the police receive a domestic abuse-related phone call every 30 seconds. Yet, it’s estimated that only 24% of domestic abuse crime is reported to the police.
Over the past few weeks, SIGBI has been campaigning for the elimination of VAWG and domestic abuse with its annual ‘16 Days of Activism’, a UN Women campaign that highlights gender-based violence worldwide.
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Ruth Healey, President of SIGBI, said: “Amounting to a national emergency, violence against women and girls can take so many forms – physical, emotional, financial, and coercive – and much of it is now hidden, especially when it comes to domestic violence, which makes it so much harder to combat.
“It’s terrifying that between 2018 and 2023, there was a 37% increase in violent crimes against women and girls.
“The issue is growing, and the urgency for collective action is underscored by staggering numbers and reports highlighting the prevalence of gender-based violence both nationally and globally.
“Gender-based violence needs to be unacceptable in all parts of our society, and it requires a multi-faceted approach to address it. This includes prevention, protection, and prosecution, but mostly prevention.”
The ‘16 days of Activism’ also commonly referred to as ‘Orange the World’ commenced on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and has recently drawn to a close on 10 December, Human Rights Day.
The campaign, which began on the 25 November and ended on the 10 December, has seen SIGBI clubs across the UK embrace the “Orange the World”, by lighting up well-known buildings in orange, creating orange displays and taking part in marches wearing orange, to attract public attention and spark conversations about Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
Over the course of the campaign, SIGBI’s members – known as Soroptimists – have turned the UK orange, lighting up key monuments and buildings, to shine a light on these issues.
St Alban’s Museum, Hertfordshire County Hall, Cartmel Priory, The Hoad Monument, Barrow Town Hall, Pembrokeshire County Hall, Cirencester Parish Church, Wigan Town Hall, Wills Hall in Bristol, Bristol City Hall and key buildings in Salisbury are a few locations which turned orange over the past few weeks.
The campaign took place not long after the UK Government announced new measures to combat VAWG, marking the first step in its pledge to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade.
Ruth said: “As Soroptimists, we believe we need to continue to raise awareness of this issue – empowering communities with the knowledge needed to help prevent violence before it starts.
“This is why – as the campaign ends this year – we’re keen to call on the Government to do more. While reforming police responses, strengthening the justice system, empowering victims and making Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) a mainstream issue is important, it is most important to prioritise the prevention of domestic abuse crimes or VAWG in the first instance.
“By turning the UK orange this 25 November to 10 December, we took action, raised awareness and ignited change, but we don’t want it to stop there.
“We are committed to creating a world where women and girls can live free from fear, empowered to reach their full potential.”
Soroptimists across the UK undertake a significant amount of work to prevent VAWG and domestic abuse – much of that work involves education around the impact of crimes against women.
The charity’s Lichfield club, for example, has run several Healthy Relationship talks to boys, aged 15 – 17 years old at the Lichfield City Football Academy, emphasising the need for Consent and Respect. Feedback from the Academy is that there has been a definite shift in behaviour.
Programmes are being run across the UK alongside conferences that bring together local agencies, councillors, Police Crime Commissioners and others to discuss local approaches.
Soroptimists have also launched observation studies into the treatment of female domestic abuse victims, watching over 220 sessions of the Special Domestic Violence Courts in the pilot alone. This work has now been replicated in Wiltshire (2018), the Midlands (2020 and now in Wales (2024).
The observations have consistently supplied similar recommendations. These include:
- Female victims need consistent access to Domestic Abuse Advisors.
- Technology needs to be used effectively to make a stressful situation less so, and to ensure that trials are not affected by an abuse of technology.
- Essential training needs to be delivered to all magistrates, judges and Crown prosecutors so they fully understand domestic abuse, and how fear and control affect a victim’s decisions.
- The voice of the victim must be represented appropriately.
SIGBI is a membership organisation which focuses on empowering women and girls to achieve their full potential and works to eliminate barriers and discriminations that hinder women’s progress.
The charity does this through its 248 clubs throughout the UK, Ireland, Malta, Asia and the Caribbean – over 200 of which are in the UK. It currently has a total of 5,150 members.
The organisation has consultancy status at the UN – with members participating in UN meetings, submitting statements and collaborating on global projects which advance gender equality.
The 16 Days of Activism, and the charity’s work on VAWG, are a part of this. Get involved here: https://sigbi.org/
“Women’s safety is not a privilege, it’s a basic human right,” Ruth concluded.
