Liz McInnes demands an end to violence against women and girls

Liz McInnes demands an end to violence against women and girls

Liz McInnes, Labour MP for Heywood and Middleton, has pledged support for the United Nations campaign for the Elimination of Violence against women and girls as shocking statistics show that women are eight times more likely than men to experience sexual assault.

Ms McInnes has also called for protection for police funding and local government-backed organisations to prevent violence and support the victims of violence.

The United Nations Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, on 25 November, is an international event to highlight and combat violence against women and girls. In supporting the campaign Liz McInnes MP is demanding a world without violence against women and girls and committing to challenge the attitudes and norms that allow this to exist.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales 2015 highlights that there are still very real concerns around gender-based violence. The survey shows not only an increase in reports of sexual assaults, but also that women are far more likely than men to experience this type of crime. In the period 2014/2015, Greater Manchester Police received 1165 reports of sexual assaults on women, compared to 150 against men.

Ms McInnes said: "The figures for Greater Manchester are truly shocking. Almost 8 times as many women suffer sexual assaults as men, which makes campaigns such as this extremely necessary. What the figures also emphasise is the importance of adequate funding for the police and also for local councils, who do a lot of good work supporting organisations such as Women’s Housing Action Group here in Rochdale to prevent domestic violence and support victims."