These four steps have brought us closer to ending violence against women
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Wendy Francis. Rachel McDaid. Tara Kershaw. Sarah Mayhew. Just four of the women who were murdered by men this year. The needless loss of women’s lives to men’s violence is a deepening epidemic and the statistics are bleak, with the Femicide Census finding that a woman has been killed by a man once every three days in the UK for the past 10 years.
But it’s also important not to forget about all the progress that has been made in ending gender-based violence, historically and more recently. For example, just over 20 years ago, marital rape was legal. Non-fatal strangulation became a standalone criminal offence two years ago, while coercive or controlling behaviour has only been a crime since 2015.
![[LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 21: Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street on January 21, 2018 in London, England. The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234105477-c571.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Andrea Simon, executive director at End Violence Against Women, told Metro: ‘The last few years have put violence against women and girls (VAWG) on the public agenda like never before, as people took to the streets in outrage following a series of horrifying high profile acts of male violence.
![[Time's Up Women's Rally Takes Place In London]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-908270118.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘This is a pivotal time for women and girls as a groundswell of public support joins the tireless work of activists, survivors, specialist services and campaigners in calling for systemic change.’. With this in mind, we’ve looked back at four moments that have moved us closer to ending violence against women and girls for good.
![[Police Station]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-172736958.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
