Stop ‘tragic’ killing of women, says Camilla

THE Duchess of Cornwall has asked why the “tragic statistic” of two women a week killed by their partner or an ex “has not altered in several decades”.

She paid tribute to a campaign by the Women’s Institute (WI) to encourage its members to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women.

The Duchess, who has been highlighting the issue of domestic abuse for a number of years, personally thanked the WI members, telling them: “You will never know how many lives you have, quite literally, saved.”

Her praise came in an article she has written for the latest edition of the WI’S membership magazine WI Life, and she gives a brief history of the work of individuals and organisations to support women in fear of their safety.

The Duchess, who is a member of Tetbury WI and Llandovery WI, writes: “Two women are killed every week by a current or former partner in England and Wales.

“This tragic statistic has not altered in several decades. Thousands of lives have been lost. Countless more have had to leave their homes and one in four women continues to live with abuse.

“This is particularly in our minds as we approach Christmas, when rates of domestic violence rise significantly, but with abusive partners at home more it can be harder to call for help.”

The Duchess also talks candidly about the complex issues of violence against women, which she says includes economic abuse, digital abuse, stalking, harassment and coercive control.

“As our knowledge of different types of abuse increases, so must our efforts to raise awareness to empower victims to recognise the signs and to seek help,” she said.

The WI’S No More Violence Against Women initiative was launched in 2019. In 1975, the group campaigned for the funding of women’s refuges in every county.

It also worked to make sure domestic violence survivors were able to access justice through the courts in 1988, and to adequately define domestic violence under the law in 1993.