Voices Against Violence - Signatures for a Solution

Make this election count for women

In the next few months the UK will go to the polls to elect a new Parliament. CARE is calling for each political party to put women at the centre of their foreign policy commitments.

Women living in conflict zones, such as Democratic Republic of Congo, are disproportionately affected by war.

Rape is used as weapon, with devastating effects on women and communities.

Even when war ends, violence against women doesn’t. In Uganda, where peace accords have been signed, women continue to suffer heightened levels of violence, including within the home.

Please sign up to our statement of demands to the political parties by completing the form on the right.

This will send an email to CARE who will then deliver this call to action to each party.

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Statement of demands:

Put women first in action against rape

Women suffer most from the consequences of war. Rape is often used as a weapon, to terrorise women and destabilise communities. Unfortunately, even when war ends, gender based violence doesn’t, and women continue to suffer under heightened levels of violence.

CARE International UK asks that all parties in the general election put women’s safety and empowerment at the heart of their foreign policy objectives. We call on you to:

1. Put services for women at the centre of all action against rape in war:

For many women who experience violence in countries affected by war, the assistance they require is often located far from where they are. Survivors of rape need immediate access to medical support and trauma counselling, and protection from further violence. The UK government should push for a comprehensive mapping of services available to women, and contribute to funding to address gaps.

2. Prioritise rape survivors’ rights and needs in efforts to promote justice:

Too often international debates on justice in times of war get swamped by wider foreign policy priorities. Instead, support should focus on the physical safety, dignity and health of rape survivors in their struggle for justice. For this to happen, the UK government should prioritise efforts to enhance access to justice at country-level, and place the rights and needs of survivors at its heart.

3. Make the UN system more effective and accountable to women:

Efforts to tackle violence against women in war are hampered by a lack of resources and poor co-ordination between the UN agencies involved. The UK government should support the newly appointed Special Representative on Women, Peace and Security in pushing for greater accountability and coherence across UN agencies.

4. Address the root causes of violence against women:

Efforts to respond to violence against women in war need to be complemented by greater investment in longer-term efforts to tackle the social, cultural and political drivers of that violence. The UK government should have a clear long term strategy for funding community based programmes that both empower women to take part in public life, and change attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate violence against women.

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