4 March 2018
* Amelia Womack, Green deputy leader, makes after first speaking out about her own experience of domestic abuse last year
* Womack: “The Government is removing women’s final safety net in their hour of greatest need”
The Green Party has criticised the Government for “placing women’s lives in danger” with its plans to change funding for refuges [1].
Amelia Womack, deputy leader of the Green Party, will call on the Government to ring-fence funding for refuges and other forms of short-term supported housing in the welfare system.
Womack will make the call in her speech to Green Party Spring Conference in Bournemouth today [2], after first speaking out about her own experiences of domestic abuse in June last year [3].
Amelia Womack, deputy leader of the Green Party, is expected to say:
“This Government claims to care about women – yet it’s placing their lives in danger with plans to remove refuges from the welfare system. Removing women’s final safety net when they are in their hour of greatest need.
“This is a matter of life and death. The Government must prove it is serious about women’s safety and ring-fence funding for refuges.”
At Autumn Conference in October last year Womack launched the Green Party’s campaign to make misogyny a hate crime, which has since gathered cross-party support [4].
Womack is expected to say:
“When I shared my experience of domestic violence for the first time last year, I never imagined I’d be part of starting what quickly became such a defining and extraordinary moment in the story of women.
“From MeToo to TimesUp, it feels like we’re hitting a tipping point that none of us saw coming this time last year. I’m so proud to have played a small part in giving other women the confidence to come forward and speak out about their experiences of misogyny.
“From the sweeping red walkways of Hollywood premieres to the corridors of the House of Commons, the carpets things have been swept under are now well and truly being shaken out.”
Notes:
-
Green Party Spring Conference
The Green Party Spring Conference will see members from across the country come together to hear from the party’s leaders, vote on policy and take part in discussion and debate on topics from Brexit to climate change.
* Leaders’ speech by Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas: Saturday 3 March, 2pm
* Deputy Leaders speech by Amelia Womack: Sunday 4th March, 3pm, via Facebook Live from March4Women in London
* Location: Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Rd, Bournemouth, BH2 5BH
Follow this news feed: Green Party