Lea Bridge Ward Councillor Stella Creasy and I were invited to a special meeting at the House of Commons on Thursday, to celebrate international women’s day with women MPs, including Meg Munn, Minister for Women and Cabinet Minister, Harriet Harman, and to discuss with them the work they are doing to stamp out domestic violence.
Stella and I were then invited to observe a special parliamentary debate in the House of Commons Chamber, where the MPs debated the forthcoming Domestic Violence National Action Plan and other anti-domestic violence initiatives being taken through Parliament.
Recent research estimates that domestic violence accounts for 16% of all violent crime; costs in excess of £23bn a year; claims the lives of two women each week and 30 men per year; is the largest cause of morbidity worldwide in women aged 19-44, greater than war, cancer or motor vehicle accidents; and will affect 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men in their lifetime.
Councillor Creasy and I felt honoured to represent Waltham Forest and celebrate international women’s day with the Minister for Women. We are pleased that they chose to debate domestic violence this year as it’s an issue that has been swept under the carpet for too long.
For more information about the work being done by Meg Munn MP, Minister for Women and Equalities, go to: https://www.dti.gov.uk/ministers/ministers/munn.html