A Cumbrian MP has joined with more than 100 parliamentarians from eight different countries in calling on Governments across the world to take action to eliminate violence against women and girls.

Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and the Border, lent his signature to a statement calling for action on the dramatic rise in gender-based violence seen globally as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The statement was released yesterday in conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Woman.

Dr Hudson said he fully supported the call, and was pleased to put his name to it.

"It remains as important as ever that Governments across the world continue to support women and girls who encounter gender-based violence," he said.

"The Coronavirus pandemic has unfortunately seen an increase in instances of violence of this kind and Governments need to ensure that women and girls do not become a casualty of this crisis.

"Through education, multilateral engagement between Governments and representation of women in key decision-making rules we can hopefully eliminate violence of this form.”

The statement called for three measures to be taken:

● 1. Protect funding for programmes to tackle all forms of gender-based violence both at home and abroad. While each of our countries’ economies have been badly impacted by the pandemic, we cannot balance our spending deficits on the backs of vulnerable women and girls.

● 2. Work together to find new ways to support women and girls at risk of gender-based violence. Whether through bilateral engagement, or using international fora like the United Nations and the European Union, our countries together are worth more than the sum of their parts. The global challenge of gender-based violence requires global solutions.

● 3. Put women leaders at the heart of our response to gender-based violence. By increasing the number of women in decision-making roles in government, international agencies, and peacekeeping operations, we can tackle not just the violence against women and girls, but the regressive values that are the root causes of such violence.