Vice President Holly Thompson leads the campaign to Make Misogyny a Hate Crime

Right now, misogyny is not a hate crime. In an era where male are becoming increasingly open about their hatred of women online and on the streets, to think that this not specifically designated as a hate crime is shocking.

That is why Vice-President Holly Thompson is campaigning to make misogyny a hate crime. Alongside Amara Relf (Union Affairs Officer at the University of Leeds) and Lily Allan (Wellbeing and Communities Officer at the University of Newcastle), Holly has put forward a petition to Government which calls on them to ‘amend the Sentencing Act 2020 to record crimes motivated by misogyny as hate crimes and introduce tougher laws for online abuse, and fund the training of police and prosecutors, and support for survivors in education.’

This means that discriminatory attitudes towards women would be greater protected by the Government and other national institutions. It means there would be clearer channels through which people who commit misogynist crimes could be sentenced, and create a wider change in attitudes both from the public and in national institutions. It is a vital step in ensuring that survivors feel protected, and women and gender minorities feel empowered.

At time of writing, this petition has already reached 19,439 signatures. This is a huge milestone as it needed to reach 10,000 to receive a response from the Government. However, this is not the end as it requires 100,000 to be debated in Parliament.

Please take a minute to sign the petition, and share it with your friends and family. Every signature represents a commitment to the protection of women and minority genders in our society. It proves to the Government that the British public want positive change. It’s time to make misogyny a hate crime.

You can sign the petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/746640

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