Jane Ide OBE HonDUniv has captured the concerns that so many of us in the third sector are facing perfectly.
Read her statement.
Our network of specialist and community-based Rape Crisis centres have been struggling with acute and chronic underfunding for decades. Austerity, Covid, the economic crisis and being asked to do much much more with much much less isn’t fair and isn’t sustainable.
The Covenant talks about collaboration with the third sector. For that to be meaningful there has to be respect, equity and investment in our sector. This requires open and ongoing dialogue with sector leaders which recognises their invaluable contribution to the lives of women and girls, and to ending rape and sexual abuse.
We welcome the Government’s commitment to halving violence against women and girls in a decade and between us, there is immense will and skill and commitment to helping to achieve that, but we cannot even contemplate taking a seat at the table unless we know we can keep our doors open and our lights on.