‘The proposals [for the Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill] are narrow and still fail to guarantee women will be protected’.
This is according to April 2018 response from End Violence Against Women (EVAW) on the proposed Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill (pdf).
EVAW encourages others to read their working response to the consultation and make their own submissions. The consultation closes on 31 May 2018.
In the response, EVAW points out the need for a national vision and material commitment to protect women from violence. It recommends that the following changes should be made before the Bill goes to Parliament:
- Legislative commitments to ensure women’s rights under the Istanbul Convention are fully realised
- A broader brief for the Commissioner, as a Violence Against Women and Girls Commissioner
- Inclusion of migrant women living in a ‘hostile environment’
- A ‘non-legislative package’ to accompany the Bill which refreshes the VAWG Strategy
EVAW states:
It is especially disappointing that at a time when the national and global conversation on sexual violence has never been louder or more pressing, measures to address sexual violence are absent from the proposals.