News
UK Government Supports Say NO Campaign
Date: 10 December 2008
London — Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality in the United Kingdom, led British Government Ministers and Members of Parliament in signing on to the Say NO to Violence against Women campaign in London on 10 December. The event took place on the international Human Rights Day, a date which also marks the end of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence.
The Say NO campaign is a global advocacy effort on ending violence against women. Launched in November 2007 by UNIFEM, the initiative aimed to collect one million signatures in order to demonstrate that there is an ever-growing movement of people who demand that ending violence against women be a top priority for governments. Due to the overwhelming support from people across the world, Say NO far exceeded the one million signature goal, reaching over 5 million signatures as of 25 November 2008. The Say NO network continues to grow as governments carry on signing to express their commitment towards taking action to end violence against women.
“Violence against women is everyone’s problem - it destroys the lives of women and children in all regions, in all social classes, and across all countries. We need to work together to end it, and I wholeheartedly support UNIFEM and its Say NO to Violence Against Women campaign,” said Minister Harman when signing on. "Tackling violence against women is a priority for this Government, and we have made much progress, including tackling domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. But there is still a long way to go, and we are determined to do more."
Theresa May, Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister for Women, also pledged her support to the campaign: “I welcome this opportunity to raise awareness about the continuing challenges of ending violence against women. It is encouraging that so many people have supported the Say NO campaign, but there is still much more work to be done. Three million women are victims of violence each year in the UK. We need to continue to raise awareness of this and tackle the root causes so that we can prevent it happening in the first place.”
Zarin Hainsworth, President of the UK National Committee of UNIFEM, said: “Partnerships and sustained political will at the highest levels are urgently needed to meet the significant challenges. It is essential to bring together international public support along with civil society, the private sector and the United Nations system. Support from government leaders and officials, at all levels, is crucial. We are really pleased at this welcome response from Her Majesty’s Government and we look forward to working on this important issue in the coming months.”
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