MU Global Day 5th December 202026 Nov 2020
Our Global Day is centred around the disturbing figure that “1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced domestic or sexual abuse” and that Mothers’ Union as a leading women’s organisation believe this to be unacceptable.
The Global Day will take place on the 5th December 2020 and our initial plans were to ask members to “to step out of their comfort zones” and find a central location where their diocese could hold a peaceful protest. We wanted the event to begin at 11am so it could end with midday prayers.
We were then going to add an ask for a fundraising event before or after the protest if possible “Cup of tea for no more one in 3” – this would be a simple tea and cake sale where members can raise the profile of the campaign whilst raising funds. We had planned to produce reflections and information leaflets for those attending to read whilst enjoying their refreshments.
We also wanted to encourage members to involve their Church communities by producing resources (intercessions, sermon outline etc) that could be used the following day in Church on 6th December. Again, this would be matched with fundraising potential for the collection to be donated to MU or for members to run a smaller coffee and cake sale after the main morning service.
It was hoped that things would be more “normal” by this point so that we could continue with our initial plans, however given the current climate, we have decided to take the majority of the activities online, with the hope that engaging with as many members as possible online this year will lead to building on the success next year when hopefully we can have events marking this day, in person, around the world.
Much press and research has also shown that cases of domestic violence have increased during lockdown and the pandemic and so there is more need than ever to join together and say “No more 1 in 3”
Timetable of Mothers’ Union Global Day Events – 5th December
| Online Protest launches |
9am – throughout MU social channels including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram |
Online “Cup of Tea for No More 1 in 3”
Join us with a cup of tea as we take time out our day to reflect and pray for our “No More 1 in 3 campaign” This will be followed by Midday Prayers |
11.30am – Facebook Live and You Tube |
| No More 1 in 3 Global Day Service |
8pm – Facebook Live and You Tube |
Please note all times are GMT
What is coercive control?
Domestic abuse isn’t always physical. Coercive control is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. This behaviour is designed to make a person dependent by isolating them from support, exploiting them, depriving them of independence and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Charities such as Womans Aid and MPs campaigned and succeeded in making coercive control a criminal offence. This marked a huge step forward in tackling domestic abuse. Coercive control creates invisible chains and a sense of fear that pervades all elements of a victim’s life. It works to limit their human rights by depriving them of their liberty and reducing their ability for action. Experts like Evan Stark liken coercive control to being taken hostage. As he says:
“the victim becomes captive in an unreal world created by the abuser, entrapped in a world of confusion, contradiction and fear.”
How do you know if this is happening to you or someone you know?
Some common examples of coercive behaviour are:
- Isolating you from friends and family
- Depriving you of basic needs, such as food
- Monitoring your time
- Monitoring you via online communication tools or spyware
- Taking control over aspects of your everyday life, such as where you can go, who you can see, what you can wear and when you can sleep
- Depriving you access to support services, such as medical services
- Repeatedly putting you down, such as saying you’re worthless
- Humiliating, degrading or dehumanising you
- Controlling your finances
- Making threats or intimidating you
Statistics on coercive control
- In the UK there were 17,616 offences of coercive control recorded by the police in the year ending March 2019, compared with 9,053 in the year ending March 2018. (ONS, 2019).
- The CPS Case Information System recorded 1,177 offences of coercive and controlling behaviour in an intimate or family relationship where a prosecution commenced at magistrates’ courts in the year ending March 2019. 97% of defendants prosecuted for coercive and controlling behaviour in the year ending December 2018 were male. (ONS, 2019).
Domestic Abuse Facts & Figures
- One in three women experience sexual or physical violence -- most likely from their intimate partner (World Health Organisation)
- Almost one in three women aged 16-59 will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime (Office for National Statistics 2019)
- Two women a week are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales alone (Office for National Statistics 2019)
- In the year ending March 2019, 1.6 million women experienced domestic abuse (Office for National Statistics 2019)
- Women are on average assaulted 35 times before they seek help.
- On average the police in England and Wales receive over 100 calls relating to domestic abuse every hour. (HMIC, 2015)
- According to CSEW data for the year ending March 2018, only 18% of women who had experienced partner abuse in the last 12 months reported the abuse to the police.
Useful External Resources
Mothers’ Union has developed many relationships and worked with a number of organisations over the past years to develop our stance against Domestic Abuse. We would like to draw your attention to some of their excellent resources which you can use alongside this pack.
Restored – Ending Domestic Abuse, A Pack for Churches - https://www.restoredrelationships.org/resources/info/51/
Restored – Handbook for Female Domestic Survivors of Abuse - https://www.restoredrelationships.org/survivorshandbook/
Anglican Consultative Council and the Anglican Alliance – Domestic Abuse and Covid 19 How Churches can Respond - https://www.anglicancommunion.org/media/415112/2007-da-covid-19-churches_en.pdf
It is vital that victims/survivors of domestic abuse know that they are not alone during COVID-19 and there is still help available in these challenging times. This is highlighted in a Government awareness campaign launched on April 11.
Blog by Bishop of London - Loving as Christ loved during COVID-19
Podcast - Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek talks to members of the Nelson Trust about domestic abuse
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