Violence against women and girls - Composite motion presented to Labour Party Conference 10 October 2023

[IwantToRetire]

Composite 8 – Violence against women and girls

Every woman and girl should feel safe in their home, on our streets, in their school or workplace and in our wider community. Yet, violence against women and girls remains endemic in Britain today.

Under the Conservatives, our criminal justice system is failing the women and girls who become victims of these crimes. The charge rate for rape has collapsed and across the criminal justice system, millions of victims are now dropping out. Too many victims wait years for justice because of the huge backlog in the courts, caused by 13 years of Conservative chaos in the justice system.

Tackling violence against women and girls must be a coordinated effort across government, not just limited to crime and justice reform, to ensure Labour can deliver on its mission in government to halve levels of VAWG.

Conference notes:

• The number of devastating and high-profile murders of women.
• Domestic abuse is the most prevalent form of violence against women and girls, with nearly one in five crimes recorded by the police being domestic abuse related.
• The rising impact of online misogynist influencers.
• The centrality of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in schools to tackling VAWG and online misogyny.
• The private family law system often fails to safeguard children and DA victims, especially in cases of coercive control.
• The need to ensure that measures addressing VAWG are fully inclusive of all victims of VAWG, including women who are BAME, transgender, disabled, migrant women and children of domestic abuse victims.
• The need for employers to take reasonable steps to ensure all their workers are safe

Conference calls on the Labour Party to:

• Review sentencing for domestic abuse.
• Introduce a guideline minimum sentence of seven years for rape, which better reflects the seriousness of the crime.
• Review the use of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order for sexually motivated violence.
• Roll out specialist rape courts to tackle the unacceptably low rates of prosecution for rape by fast tracking rape cases through the court system to improve victims’ experience.
• Ensure a comprehensive reform of the private family law system.
• Introduce a specific new criminal offence for spiking.
• Introducing new custodial sentences for those who name victims of rape and sexual assault.
• Ensure domestic abuse survivors can access the support, including financial support, they need quickly.
• Introducing a survivor support package to improve victims’ experience in the courts – including fast tracking cases, legal help, better training for professionals.
• End the promotion of harmful content online to tackle harassment and abuse experienced on social media platforms.
• Overhaul police standards system, by introducing new national compulsory standards on vetting, checks and misconduct.
• Ensure within each police force in England and Wales there is a specialist rape and serious sexual offence unit and set accountable standards for the way victims of sexual abuse and violence are treated.

Mover: Cheadle CLP
Seconder: Central Devon CLP

https://labourlist.org/2023/10/labour-conference-2023-motions-votes-tuesday/

Motion from women’s conference – Violence against women and girls

Every woman and girl should feel safe in their home, on our streets, in their school or workplace and in our wider community. Yet, violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains endemic in Britain today.
Tackling gender-based violence should be one of the highest priorities for the next Labour government.
Our criminal justice system is failing the women and girls who become victims of these crimes. The charge rate for rape has collapsed, and across the criminal justice system, millions of victims are now dropping out.
The UK victims commissioner warned that ‘we are witnessing the decriminalisation of rape’ and, in her 2022 resignation letter, cited ‘a catastrophic backlog of cases ‘leading to a ‘criminal justice system in chaos’.

Conference notes:

• Street harassment and violence against women and girls in the UK is endemic.
• More than a decade on from the UN’s first resolution to eliminate sexual violence in conflict, many victims are waiting for services and justice. We acknowledge the impact of climate change leading to displacement and vulnerability of women and girls to sex and domestic labour trafficking.
• Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and modern slavery because of power, economic, social and political discrimination and exploitation.
• The UK has obligations to reduce demand for sexual exploitation under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Women’s conference calls on the Labour Party:

• Introduce a new statutory minimum sentence of seven years for rape, which better reflects the seriousness of the crime.
• Roll out specialist rape courts to tackle the unacceptably low rates of prosecution for rape by fast tracking rape cases through the court system.
• Introduce a specific new criminal offence for spiking.
• Overhaul police standards system, by introducing new national compulsory standards on vetting, checks and misconduct.
• Ensure each police force has a specialist rape and serious sexual offence unit
• End the promotion of harmful content online to tackle harassment and abuse experienced on social media.
• Cross-government approach recognising the critical role of women’s organisations in tackling VAWG.
• Labour will make ending sexual violence in conflict a core part of its international agenda to bring new drive to the UN campaign.

Mover: Cambridge CLP
Seconder: Northampton North CLP

These were selected by ballot from a list of 49 topics, whittled down to 12. 6 voted on yesterday and today (cant see any reference to conversion therapy or self id)

Full list here https://labourlist.org/2023/10/labour-conference-2023-motions-priorities-ballot-49-issues-votes/

I don’t agree with minimum 7 year sentence for rape as I think juries will be less likely to convict. I do agree sentencing is too low in many cases though.

Every woman and girl should feel safe in her home, on our streets, in her school or workplace and in our wider community...

How I wish they'd use correct language.

Their is used for a reason.
No mention of single sex provision for biological women? That avoids the TWAW lot jumping up at the rostrum and keeps them happy.

They are just Christmas List motions. They aren't binding on the Party, just good sound bites for an election.

No CLP's putting in amendments? No? Too scared?

No CLP's putting in amendments? No? Too scared?

These are motions from the floor, not from Central Office.

ie the motions reflect how CLPs see / understand VAW.

The "official" Labour Party policy on VAW was really short and I did post earlier, but cant be bothered to look up again.

Its not even clear if the CLPs that put these motions forward have any idea or experience of TRAs.

Its not even clear if the CLPs that put these motions forward have any idea or I experience of TRAs

Is that a joke?

I'm familiar with Cheshire CLP thanks. Nearby CLP, me, for years and years.

Their delegates must have avoided the Albert Dock TRA balaclava fist and stick waving bunch a few yards away from Conference on Sunday then?

I remember, being able to put in amendments as a CLP, having looked at another CLP's motion, prior to Conference.

That doesn't happen these days? Everyone just claps and turns to the cameras then to show Unity. Ah well.

More No Debate.

No mention of keeping these violent men out of female prisons then?

No good making improvements if you are just going to shove violent rapists in with different women.

I'm not in anyway part of the Labour Party but as far as I can see, as listed above, there were something like 42 motions that were accepted as being open to being presented for discussion. (So presumably some weeding out had already gone on)

Then there was a period when those 42 could discuss coming up with a composite or ammendments etc., after which there was a vote that decided which 12 of the 42 would be put forward.

So who knows what happened during that process. Not much I suspect as it was not even a day.

And I dont know if there was discussion before being voted on, either.

Their delegates must have avoided the Albert Dock TRA balaclava fist and stick waving bunch a few yards away from Conference on Sunday then?

I suspect even if never said out loud or written down the word went round that nobody was to refer to LWS at all.

And its seems clear the the Labour Women's Declaration meeting (invite only) also didn't offer any message of support or condemnation of women's voices being silenced.

Every time you read anything by Labour that says 'women', remind yourself their position is 'TWAW'. (And before anyone points it out, half the Tories are the same.)