Ask Employers to sign up to UNISON’s Charter:
Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls!
Charter sign up link here
In recent years there has been an unprecedented rise in misogyny and violence against women and girls (VAWG) across the world. It is rife and, on a scale, never seen before!
Over one in four women are estimated to be victims of sexual assault or attempted assault in their lifetime, and one in 12 women are victims of VAWG each year, although the actual number is likely to be much higher. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) reported that, in 2022-23, 20% of all police-recorded crime was related to violence against women and girls. Violence against women and girls can have long-term impacts on victims, affecting them physically, mentally, socially and financially.
In July 2024 the NPCC reported that in the previous 12 months, over one million VAWG related crimes were recorded by police, equal to 3000 offences each day. The data also found that recorded VAWG-related crime had increased by 37% in the last 5 years.
More women live in oppressed households in the North West making our local area more dangerous for women and girls than anywhere else in the UK.
It is women who are more likely than men to be exploited in the workplace. To be on low wages, unfair contracts, and face abuse at the hands of unscrupulous employers. They’re also at greater risk of physical or sexual violence and harassment. Just for doing their jobs!
This is a Health and Safety Issue; it is clear in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 that employers are required to ensure the health, safety and welfare of workers. They have a duty of care to protect staff, which includes protection from sexual harassment and all forms of violence at work. Added to this as of October 2024 employers are required to to take reasonable steps to protect employees from sexual harassment and a duty to anticipate when sexual harassment may occur and take reasonable steps to prevent it.
UNISON, with its million-plus women members, continues to push for change, and to speak up whenever there is injustice, discrimination or abuse. The vast majority of those delivering public services, responding to such violence are women, without women, those essential public services couldn’t function.
As VAWG is a workplace issue, a trade union issue, an equality issue as well as a community issue UNISON have produced a strategy to help combat this, along with a charter for employers to sign up to end violence against women and girls.
With your help we’d like to sign up as many employers up to the Charter as possible and if they wish they can be featured in UNISON NW monthly newsletter IN IT TO WIN IT!
Please email your local councillor to ask for their support!
To sign the charter please follow this link