Dear [insert MP name],

I ask as your constituent that you join the movement calling for an end to violence against women around the world. 1 in 3 women experience violence globally. This must stop now.

Whether it be domestic violence or trafficking for sexual exploitation or forced labour, women are uniquely vulnerable to violence and exploitation.

This can be seen in the ongoing Ukrainian refugee crisis. It is a desperate situation. I am a supporter of International Justice Mission (IJM) and their team in Romania is supporting ongoing efforts to protect vulnerable refugees from trafficking. IJM and partners in Romania continues to monitor border crossings to prevent potential exploitation by traffickers. Having fled their home and country unaccompanied with only what they can carry, many women and children are arriving at borders exhausted and in need of onward transportation, many are also lacking correct documentation or access to their own funds. Human traffickers are known to prey upon such vulnerabilities.

The UK’s response to the crisis must, therefore, seek to protect women and children from exploitation, including equipping local authorities and shelters to understand and mitigate the risks of trafficking.

Of course those fleeing Ukraine may not want or be able to stay in neighbouring countries, like Romania. Those who cannot access safe and legal migration routes are known to be vulnerable to trafficking, all the more so in the midst of a crisis. The UK Government must, therefore, ensure that those seeking refuge here are able to travel and find safe accommodation swiftly and easily.

People who have been displaced by war should be made to feel at home when they seek refuge in the UK. It is heartening to see the generosity of British people who are willing to open their homes to Ukrainians, but this mechanism of offering accommodation is open to abuse by traffickers. The Government must put in place safeguards to protect Ukrainians arriving in the UK and prevent traffickers from exploiting their vulnerability.

I ask that you raise these important aspects of the response to the crisis in Parliament and directly with Government.

The crisis in Ukraine requires an immediate response. But we also must see greater urgency in addressing the violence suffered by women around the world on a daily basis. I would welcome your support in highlighting the desperate need to strengthen protection for women and ensure accountability for those who perpetrate human trafficking and violence against women.

Kind regards,

[Insert name here]

[Insert postcode here]

You can find out who your MP is, and their contact details, here: findyourmp.parliament.uk