The Tory government is unravelling progress against domestic and sexual violence. Why?
On just one day in the UK this year, 94 women and 90 children were turned away from refuge [Image: incamerastock/Alamy/Alamy].
The Conservative government is deliberately trying to force abused women and children to stay with their abusers.
And Theresa May’s advisors gagged a survivor of historic child sexual abuse from speaking openly about “very serious allegations about very public figures” – as a result, “nothing was being done about” them.
Is nobody worried that the government of the United Kingdom, far from trying to prevent this vile behaviour, actually seems to be encouraging it?
Hard-fought campaigns for women’s rights are being casually undone. For example, just 15 years ago, women and children were able to escape violence and abuse by fleeing to refuges and then moving into permanent social housing.
Today we work tirelessly just to defend the ground that we won in the years since the first safe houses for women were opened more than 40 years ago: the right to safety, somewhere to flee to when in danger, and a secure home in which to start rebuilding your life.
I am astounded that in 2017 these basic rights are being questioned. But they are… On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Women’s Aid has revealed that on just one day in the UK this year, 94 women and 90 children were turned away from refuge.
The government’s proposed supported housing reforms are set to remove refuges’ last secure form of funding, housing benefit, which will only make it worse for women and children trying to escape domestic abuse.
Now only one third of women who need a refuge space can access it. They then leave refuges to join the army of women and children in temporary rooms or flats, waiting for yet another temporary move and at the bottom of the queue. We have a welfare fund, food banks, lists of supporters ready with clothing and baby equipment – but no right to the grants or loans that our welfare system previously had in place.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
May-be(not) is that stiff kind of “Christian” who doesn’t like to talk about sex or marriage-as-it-really-is. She’s a pinched old prude and her record suggests that she squirms whenever pushed into any real human situation that might get mucky.
Everything about these nasty Tory politicians is self-serving and quite sinister.
and of the rooms they rent temporarily. how many will be evicted on a whim of the person whose house it is. this has happened twice in my family in the past 5 months. 1 a single woman living in 2 bed private rented house. had been very ill for around 10months . with no one capable of helping her with housework except the smallest of jobs, what family she has are either elderly and disabled or middle aged and also disabled. she got notice to quit. luckily has landed a council flat but hates it as no room to swing to a cat. 2nd my grandaughter. new baby./ given 2 weeks from the day she got out of hospital after giving birth to find somewhere else to live. 22 yrs old and single, put in hotel with no facilities for cooking.only a kettle. there 3 days. then moved into upstairs flat asgain supposed to be temporary but been told could take upto 2 years to find her permanent home. i better add here. all her family members around here live in 1 bedroom accomodation. either flats or bungalows. could put her up but if we did we make ourselves intentionally overcrowded and she loses her rights to a home of her home. so what do you do?>