Fay Mansell, chair of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes’ (NFWI), will today (18 February) deliver a petition signed by 23,322 WI members to 10 Downing Street calling on the government to eliminate violence against women and girls in the UK. 

Professor Liz Kelly, chair of the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition will join Fay in handing over the petition that urges the prime minister to take steps to eliminate violence against women and stand by the UK’s commitment to ensure women and girls their basic human right to live free from violence.

Fay Mansell said: “Gordon Brown must show that the government is committed to ending violence against women by making firm pledges and progress on the government’s strategy to tackle this issue. Women of all ages and backgrounds can experience violence and we know women in rural areas can find it particularly difficult to access patchy specialist support services. The government must take action to ensure that every woman in the country has the right to live free from violence.”

The NFWI’s campaign No More Violence Against Women aims to raise awareness of violence against women and how it can affect women of all ages and backgrounds. In particular, drawing attention to women in rural areas that experience various forms of physical and mental abuse, and the unique barriers they can face accessing support.

The NFWI is part of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, which is calling for the UK government to develop and implement an integrated strategy on ending violence against women based on the foundations of gender equality and human rights.

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For further information please contact Jennie Farrell or Amy Bick at the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) Press Office on:

T 020 7371 9300
M 07803 086 115
E  J.Farrell@nfwi.org.uk / A.Bick@nfwi.org.uk

Notes to editors: 

1. The WI is the largest voluntary women’s organisation in the UK with more than 205,000 members in 6,500 WIs. It plays a unique role in enabling women to develop new skills, giving them opportunities to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities, and provides wide-ranging activities for members.
2. For further information please visit www.theWI.org.uk http://www.thewi.org.uk/
3. Every year around three million women across the UK experience violence against women, which includes domestic violence, rape, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and other forms of abuse and harassment. (Source End Violence Against Women Coalition).
4. The NFWI has commissioned Bristol University to conduct research into perception and awareness of violence against women in rural areas. Results will be launched in the spring.