16 days of activism: Early Day Motion
I've continued my 16 days of activism today by tabling an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons to raise awareness of and support for the campaign to end gender-based violence.
An EDM is a motion submitted for debate in the House of Commons, however as no time is allocated for them it is unusual for the motion to actually be debated in the Chamber.
Instead, EDMs are usually a way for individual MPs to put their views on record or to draw attention to specific events or campaigns.
As well as being able to table motions, MPs can also support EDMs tabled by other MPs. Because of this, they are often useful in demonstrating the level of parliamentary support for a particular cause.
The text of my Early Day Motion is below. If I am not your local MP, please consider contacting your own Member of Parliament to ask them to sign EDM 619.
Early Day Motion 619
16 Days of activism against gender-based violence campaign
That this House
- supports 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence which is an annual international campaign which commenced this year on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and will run until Human Rights Day on 10 December;
- recognises that violence against women and girls is the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide;
- notes with regret that violence against women and girls is estimated to affect more than one in three women, a figure that has remained largely unchanged over the last decade;
- commends the objectives of the campaign which include calling for global action to increase awareness, galvanising advocacy efforts and sharing knowledge and innovations to end violence against women and girls once and for all;
- and advocates for all to take part in the 16 Days of Activism and amplify the important work of women's rights activists.
