The CARE Campaigns Team deliver the messages to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.CARE’s Voices Against Violence campaign calls for an end to violence against women and girls around the world.

As a part of the campaign over 100 CARE activists left a voice message for Secretary of State, William Hague, asking him to reinstate the Ministerial position for International Violence Against Women.

In September the CARE Campaigns team delivered the letter below, and a CD of the voice petition to William Hague’s office.

Please click here to listen to listen to a selection of the messages.

The Letter:

Rt. Hon William Hague MP
Foreign Secretary
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
Tuesday 14th September 2010

Dear Secretary of State,

Minister for International Violence Against Women

I am writing on behalf of the CARE Action Network (a group of people who support CARE International’s campaigns work) in relation to the Ministerial post for International Violence Against Women.

We appreciate your response to the Gender And Development Network letter of 15th July, and were heartened to hear that you are currently considering the co-ordination and leadership of the Government’s work to tackle violence against women and girls.

By playing the enclosed CD you will hear the best few examples (approximately 4 minutes) from over a hundred people who have left you a voice message on this issue, urging you to establish the Ministerial position for International Violence Against Women.

As part of our Voices Against Violence campaign, CARE campaigners have held and attended numerous events, calling for an end to global violence against women and girls.  We consistently find that this is something the public care very much about, highlighted by their readiness to sign up to our campaign.  Over the past year, almost 4,000 people have written to their MPs, signed e-petitions, attended marches and left messages, calling for Government commitment to tackling gender-based violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.  Here we hope to give you a small flavour of the public’s commitment to this.

As you know, a Minister for International Violence against Women would:

• Contribute to the Coalition Government’s commitment to tackling violence against women and girls as a priority foreign policy issue which impacts on diplomatic, development and defence agendas.
• Provide a dedicated resource to enable consultation with civil society organisations and a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach across the FCO, DFID and MoD.
• Create an accountability mechanism for the UK to track delivery on domestic and international targets on eliminating violence against women and girls.

The current Strategic Defence and Security Review, Multi-lateral Aid Review, Bi-lateral Aid Review, and Emergency Aid Review, as well as the review of the National Action Plan, provide a good moment to explore how such a position would work across government departments and could be established to maximum effect.

CARE’s campaigners would undoubtedly appreciate a response from you on this issue, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Lee Margaret Webster
Campaigns Manager
CARE International UK