MP Jess Phillips Recites Names of 107 Femicide Victims in Solemn Commons Tribute
Birmingham and Yardley MP Jess Phillips delivered a powerful and somber tribute in the House of Commons, reading out the names of 107 women who were killed by men over the past year. Members of Parliament sat in complete silence as she took over five minutes to honor each victim, where the primary suspect or confirmed perpetrator was a man.
A Decade-Long Tradition of Remembrance
This marks the eleventh consecutive year that Jess Phillips has presented such a list, compiled meticulously by the Femicide Census. The youngest victim on this year's list was just 17 years old, while the eldest was 93, highlighting the tragic span of this violence across generations.
Jess Phillips expressed her deep frustration, stating, "Words are not enough" to address the ongoing crisis of violence against women and girls. She emphasized that the victims deserve justice and that society must honor them by preventing others from suffering the same fate.
The Heartbreaking List of Names
The list included 107 names, each representing a life cut short. Among them were Anjela Chetty, Joanne Penney, Michelle Egge-Bailey, and many others, with the final name being Karlie Sone, added at the last moment as Phillips entered the Commons—a stark reminder of how frequently these tragedies occur.
Phillips noted, "Every single year, there is always a name that has to be written on at the end because it comes in as I am walking in—I say that to give the House an idea of how regularly this happens."
Government Response and New Initiatives
As the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, Phillips spoke during the International Women's Day debate, highlighting the pervasive nature of abuse. She declared, "Beyond these walls in every part of our country, women and girls are suffering. They are being attacked, abused, harassed and stalked."
She also honored those who have taken their own lives or died in unexplained circumstances due to abuse, pledging to ensure their names are not forgotten. Phillips announced plans to establish and fund a new system to guarantee that recommendations from Domestic Homicide Reviews are implemented effectively.
This initiative aims to create a system that strengthens accountability and ensures learning is consistently embedded across both local and national agencies, transforming lessons into concrete action to protect women and girls.
A Call to Action Against a National Emergency
Phillips stressed that violence against women and girls should be treated as a national emergency, criticizing past promises that have yielded insufficient results. She expressed pride in being part of a government that is taking this issue seriously, but reiterated that more must be done to combat this societal shame.
The solemn reading served as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for change, as MPs reflected on the scale of the crisis and the lives lost to femicide in the UK.
