Labour MP Jess Phillips has pledged that the Government will “go further and push harder” in tackling violence against women as she read the names of women killed by men in the past year.
This marks the 10th consecutive year that Ms Phillips has read the solemn list in Parliament, but it is the first time she has done so as a Home Office minister responsible for safeguarding and violence against women and girls.
Her reading took place during the annual International Women’s Day debate, where MPs shared their experiences of rape, sexual assault, pregnancy, miscarriage, and other challenges faced by women.
A powerful message in parliament
Before reading the names, Ms Phillips reflected on her previous speeches, acknowledging the frustration she has felt over the years.
“Last year I said that I felt tired and angry and weary. I was sick of the failures.”
However, this year, speaking from the Government’s front bench, she expressed hope that change is coming.
“As I stand here today on the front bench, placed here by a Prime Minister inspired to action, who mentioned the reading of the list in the very first ever speech he made from this despatch box as the Prime Minister, alongside a Home Secretary and a flight of brilliant ministers who are totally dedicated to this, I feel hopeful.”
As Ms Phillips read the names, those in the public gallery rose to their feet in silent tribute, and many MPs were visibly moved to tears.
After finishing, she made a firm commitment to ensuring that women’s safety remains a top priority for the Government.
“This is a fight that demands the very best from all of us, and we must rise to the occasion. Under this Government, this issue will get the attention that it deserves.
We will keep honouring and celebrating women as we build a society in which they are respected and protected, and we will back up our words with action as we seek real and lasting change, undeterred by those who sit on the sidelines while the list of names grows longer.”
Legislative changes and future plans
Ms Phillips highlighted that one in five homicides in the UK are domestic homicides and pointed to the introduction of Raneem’s Law as a step towards improving protections for women.
The law was introduced in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem’s ex-husband in August 2018.
“We must act now and be relentless in chasing the change. Many have mentioned today Raneem’s Law that the Government has brought in to embed specialists in 999 control rooms.
I hope that this shows how important this list, the issue of women killed, is to this Government, how it drives our actions because I read out the names of Raneem Oudeh and Khaola Saleem on the years that they were killed.”
She also pledged that the Government will “push forward massively on stalking laws”, acknowledging that too many women have died because stalking was not taken seriously enough.
One proposed change is “Nicola’s Law”, named after former Coronation Street actress Nicola Thorp, who has campaigned for better protections for victims of online stalking.
“One of the things the Government will do is allow people to know the identity of their online stalkers, which currently isn’t the case.
I’m going to call it Nicola’s Law because I want to start having laws for women who didn’t die.”
Calls for men to take responsibility
The debate also saw Labour MP Dawn Butler make an emotional appeal for men and boys to take responsibility in the fight against misogyny and gender-based violence.
The MP for Brent East expressed concern over the rise of far-right extremism and incel ideology influencing young men.
“Of course there’s a place for straight white men and boys, and a very important role for them to play in society.
We hear a lot today that one woman is killed every three days, and 97% of them are killed by men, the majority of them white.
She called on men to be active allies in tackling the issue.
“If we want to protect women, we need to reach out to those men – the ones that are informed, the ones that are kind, the ones that are loving – and we need to say that we need you now more than ever before.
Because right now there are some serious, toxic, misogynistic men, and some of them stray, and they are harming women, they are harming society, they are harming gay people, they are harming black people.”
A growing fear of the future
Ms Butler became choked up as she concluded her speech, saying she feared that violence against women could worsen in the coming years.
“I fear that things are going to get worse. I fear that that list is going to get longer because we are at that tipping point.
If we don’t stop what’s going on globally around the world, if we don’t call it out, it will get worse.”
More Read
Government’s next steps
Ms Phillips has also confirmed that the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy will be published in the summer.
This strategy will include measures to address the root causes of abuse, particularly focusing on the harmful attitudes and behaviours held by some men and boys.
The debate comes amid a wider discussion about misogyny in politics and online abuse, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently condemning comments made by Elon Musk.
Musk had described Ms Phillips as a “rape genocide apologist”, prompting outrage and concern over the increasing toxicity of online discourse towards women in public life.
The Government has now committed to stronger protections against online harassment and abuse, as part of its wider strategy to tackle violence against women and girls.
A call for lasting change
Ms Phillips’ speech served as a powerful reminder of the real-life impact of violence against women and the urgent need for systemic change.
As she stood before Parliament reading out the names of women who had been killed, it was a stark acknowledgment that more must be done—and that the fight to end femicide is far from over.
