Bishop of Dover Supports Campaign To End Domestic And Sexual Violence

Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, has thrown her support behind the Mothers’ Union campaign to raise awareness of the one in three women worldwide who has experienced domestic and sexual violence – a shocking statistic that soared following mandatory lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic.   

Mothers’ Union is calling for an end to abuse and violence now, with #nomore1in3, a campaign launched, as part of its Global Day of Action, on Saturday, November 27th.  

On this day, the friends and members of Mothers’ Union, will be coming together for three minutes of silence at 1:03 pm, to make more people aware of the work that still needs to be done.  

Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, said:

Abuse of any kind – be it physical, psychological or emotion – should not be tolerated in our communities and that’s why I believe it’s important to support the Mothers’ Union nomore1in3 campaign.

The Global Day of Action is the organisation’s response to the call for 16 days of global activism against gender-based violence, a UN women’s committee initiative, launched in 1991.  The Global 16-day campaign runs annually from November 25 (International Day Against Violence Against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day).  

Bev Jullien, the CEO of Mothers’ Union, said:  “Our members will be meeting in venues across Britain and Ireland – from cathedrals to shopping centres and churches to their own living rooms, uniting to call for action on the abuse suffered by so many women and girls.   

“Lockdown and the recent media coverage around the shocking deaths of  Sarah Everard and  Sabina Nessa, only serve to confirm why more must be done on this issue now.”   

Bishops from the Church of England were joined by the Archbishop of both York and Canterbury in calling for the church and wider community to support Mothers’ Union 1in3 campaign, recognising the importance of working in partnership with the church to effect change.   

Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek, said: “So often abuse is hidden and so it’s fantastic that Mothers’ Union is bringing this to light by highlighting the dreadful statistic, that one in three women suffer abuse and violence.    

“Despite our best efforts, I, along with Mothers’ Union, were very disappointed by the outcomes of the Domestic Abuse Bill, now Act, because we didn’t manage to achieve what we wanted, particularly for migrant women. So, despite progress, more must be done and that will only happen if people are aware of statistics like this.  Abuse is happening in churches, homes, and communities and people simple are not aware – that is why this campaign is so important.”  

Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said:  

Mothers’ Union is not just doing a great job in raising awareness of violence against women, but also confronting it. The whole church needs to be involved in this campaign, and men and boys must step up and recognise the change that is needed to truly combat this issue.

Being at the heart of communities means Mothers’ Union campaigns such as #nomore1in3 are driven by the experience and practical action that its members are a part of every single day. 

Across Britain and Ireland, its practical support includes providing essential items for refugees, training and support workshops on gender-based issues in schools and prisons, as well as supporting the families of survivors to heal and rebuild important family bonds through our ‘Away from it all’ breaks.     

“Members of Mothers’ Union are able to make a practical difference locally, but also unite to call for change and action regionally, nationally and internationally, thanks to our links with the UN’s Women’s Committee,” said Ms. Jullien.     

“We are always looking for more people to join our movement and won’t rest until the abuse and violence of women are eliminated.”  

For more information about the Global Day of Action and Mothers’ Union’s work with gender-based violence, please go to Global Day 2021 (Mothers’ Union Responds to 16 Days of Activism) | Mothers’ Union (mothersunion.org)  

Written by: Adeline Iziren