- Conference
- 2003 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 11 October 2002
- Decision
- Carried
The Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Women’s Committee is very concerned at the continuing disparity in the sentencing passed on men who murder their partners and women who kill their partners in the process of defending themselves against sustained domestic violence/abuse.
This continuing discriminatory practice and misunderstanding of the effect that long term domestic violence has on women reinforces the lack of equality in our justice system and reinforces outdated sexist attitudes about women. Also the practice of longer sentencing of women has a further detrimental effect on any children in the family.
This Conference therefore instructs the National Women’s Committee to:
a)Raise this issue with the National Executive Council to commission research into the incident of discriminatory sentencing of women.
b)Raise this issue with the Affiliated Political Fund with a view for the issue to be raised in the political arena.
c)Raise awareness of the help and support which exists in UNISON for any of our women members who find themselves in difficulties with the law.
d)Report the findings of any research/progress to National Women’s Conference 2004.