An event is being held in Liverpool focusing on violence against women and girls organised by The Women’s Organisation and Writing on the Wall. Tony McDonough reports
An event organised by The Women’s Organisation (The WO) and Writing on the Wall (WOW) will focus on what is described as one of the most critical issues of our time – violence against women and girls (VAWG).
How Many More Women? will take place at The Women’s Organisation in St James Street, just outside the city centre, on Wednesday, May 17, at 7pm.
Chaired by chief executive at The WO, Maggie O’Carroll, this panel event will feature four renowned experts:
- Keina Yoshida, an international human rights lawyer.
- Jennifer Robinson, an Australian human rights lawyer.
- Betsy Stanko, an American criminologist, academic and researcher.
- Winnie M Li, an award-winning author and activist who survived a violent assault.
They will all share their thoughts on this critical issue on which the data makes stark reading. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, 1.7m women suffered domestic abuse in the year to March 2022.
Femicide Census reports that over a two-year period, in 2019 and 2020, 238 women in the UK were killed and a man charged with causing the death. A woman is a victim of homicide on average every three days.
Both Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa met violent deaths at the hands of men and their murders did help raise public consciousness around VAWG. But still too little is done.
Figures from Merseyside Police revealed that nearly 20,000 more cases of domestic abuse were reported during the COVID pandemic.
There were five domestic homicides recorded in the Liverpool city region in 2020, and a further three deaths ruled as suicide associated with domestic abuse.
And it is a global problem. Estimates published by the World Health Organisation indicating that globally, one in three (30%) women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
In an interview with Liverpool Business News in March, Caroline Grant, chief executive of Knowsley domestic abuse charity, The First Step, pointed out that domestic abuse impacted the entire economy.
A Home Office report published in 2019 estimated the annual cost of domestic abuse in the UK was £66bn. Cost of the physical and emotional harm to the victims themselves is estimated at £47bn with a further £14bn in lost productivity.
Caroline said: “People don’t realise how much domestic abuse impacts the wider economy. There needs to be someone really looking at this.
“There will be very few workplaces, either in the public or private sector, that aren’t impacted by domestic abuse. Working at your local supermarket there is likely to be either a survivor or a perpetrator.”
Maggie O’Carroll said: “VAWG really is one of the most urgent issues of our time. Campaigns such as Everyday Sexism and #MeToo have helped give the issue a higher profile but so much more needs to be done to tackle this.
“It is not just the appallingly low rates of rape prosecutions that are cause for concern. Recent horrific cases involving policemen assaulting and murdering women have heightened the focus of male violence against women.
“It poses the question – is there anywhere in this society where women can feel safe?
“We are honoured to host four experts who will share their invaluable experiences and insights on the issue of violence against women.”
READ MORE: What will be the legacy of ‘best ever’ Eurovision?
During the event, the panellists will explore the challenges women face when seeking justice and highlight the need for reforms in the legal system.
They will also share their insights on what can be done to combat violence against women and create a safer society for all.
Tickets for the event are £10. To book, or for more information, click here.