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Open letter from women of faith on assisted dying

Open letter from women of faith on assisted dying

In this open letter, women from different faiths unite in voicing safeguarding concerns over the current legislation for Assisted Dying. 04/04/2025

We write as a group of women of faith from different traditions and backgrounds passionate about care for people in vulnerable situations, many of whom have dedicated our professional lives to preventing male violence against women and girls.  

We hold a variety of views on the principle of legalising assisted dying. However, we are all clear that the current legislation – The Terminally Ill Adults Bill – progressing through parliament, has insufficient safeguards to protect some of the most marginalised in society, particularly women subjected to gender–based violence, and abuse by a partner, who also experience intersecting barriers to a full and safe life. 

We are concerned that the proposed legislation could create a new tool to harm vulnerable women, particularly those being subjected to domestic abuse and coercive control, by helping them to end their lives. 

A report out last month showed that the number of domestic abuse victims who died by suicide in England and Wales was higher than the number of people killed by their abusive partner, for the second year running. 

We know too that domestic abuse victims who are also women of faith can face a particular form of abuse[1] at the hands of their perpetrators, who may weaponise theologies and culture to harm and control their victims. We are concerned that the assisted dying legislation, as it stands, fails to take account of how faith and its role at the end of life, as well as its use by both perpetrators and the women they abuse, create complex dynamics that can lead to vulnerable women, who may also hold strong religious beliefs, seeing no way out but death.

We know that poverty and other inequalities increase the risk of women and girls being subjected to violence, ill health and the quality of care and support they receive from statutory institutions and civil society. We know too that in a society riven with inequalities, women who are from Black and minoritised communities, disabled women, migrant women and working–class women, struggle to be heard. Their voices are absent from conversations about this bill, and so too are those subjective to coercive control or violence. It is unclear to us how the legislation and its consultative process has taken account of the multiplicity of faiths, cultures, socio–economic and health backgrounds of our citizens and women who make up our country. 

Much of the debate inside and outside parliament has been conducted by those empowered to speak of the importance of personal choice, without consideration of those who struggle to be heard in the public square. It is the voices of the unheard, ignored, and marginalised that we are compelled by our faith traditions and scriptures to listen and draw attention to, in the pursuit of good law–making for the common good – legislation that considers and protects the most vulnerable, not just those who speak loudest.

Having followed the progress of the bill through parliament, we are particularly concerned about: 

  • The risk that people (mainly women) with controlling and abusive partners (mainly men) will be coerced into assisted death. While we welcome the adopted amendments that stipulate training for the assessing doctors and the panel members, this safeguard only comes into play after someone has already been coerced into declaring that they want an assisted death, and will clearly not catch all cases. We also know, from research and experience, that coercive control is a long–term process that is both insidious and subtle with women often unaware of it until the perpetrator’s behaviour escalates. 
  • The reality that since 2016, deaths by suicide have been included in the scope of domestic homicide reviews and there is growing research on women who die by suicide as directly linked to having an abusive partner. We are concerned that if this legislation passes, women may seek assisted deaths to end their suffering at the hands of an abuser. Domestic Homicide Reviews also reveal the disproportionate number of Black and minoritised women who are failed by statutory and state agencies like the police, social services, health services and specialist services like substance misuse and mental health and women’s services despite their calls for help.    
  • There are no longer High Court protections embedded in the Bill
  • There are insufficient protections for those with learning disabilities and people with anorexia. 
  • The use of the vehicle of the Private Member’s Bill for this landmark legislation. This has resulted in the impact assessment being shared after the Bill Committee stage, which makes it difficult for all of us with concerns about inequalities to gauge how this legislation will affect Black and minoritised and faith communities, people with disabilities, and those experiencing economic disadvantage.

If assisted dying is seen as a response to alleviate suffering, without addressing the underlying structural issues that make life difficult and safeguard against harm, it could put undue pressure on vulnerable women to choose death over inadequate care.

This is no way to legislate, especially not on matters of life and death. We have serious concerns about the bill and its lack of safeguards. The bill has too much potential to hurt vulnerable people and so we are uniting as women from across faith traditions to speak up for vulnerable women, including victims of violence against women and girls, and disabled women, and raise our concerns publicly.

Signatories:

  1. Chine McDonald, director, Theos

  2. Bekah Legg, CEO, Restored

  3. Huda Jawad, co–founder and executive director, Faith and VAWG Coalition

  4. Sam Clifford, CEO, Jewish Women’s Aid

  5. The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, Bishop of London

  6. Dr Naomi Green, Assistant Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain

  7. Professor Sheila The Baroness Hollins, President, The Catholic Union of Great Britain

  8. Rabbi Debbie Young–Somers

  9. Zara Mohammed, former secretary general, Muslim Council of Britain

  10. Hannah Rich, director, Christians on the Left

  11. Revd Dr Helen Paynter, founding director, Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence

  12. Naomi Lerer, CEO, Noa Girls 

  13. Amanda Jackson, senior advisor on diversity, World Evangelical Alliance

  14. The Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, Lord Bishop of Gloucester and Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons

  15. Commissioner Jenine Main, Territorial Leader, The Salvation Army, United Kingdom and Ireland

  16. Louisa Collyer–Hamlin, Head of External Affairs, Catholic Union

  17. Patricia Stoat, Science Health & Bioethics Committee of the National Board of Catholic Women

  18. Rt Revd Rose Hudson–Wilkin, Bishop of Dover

  19. Dr Sahira Dar, president, British Islamic Medical Association

  20. Rachel Fink, CEO, S&P Sephardi Jewish Community

  21. Tola Doll Fisher, Creative Director and Editor, Premier Woman Alive

  22. Elizabeth Harris Sawczenko, OBE, Interfaith consultant 

  23. Nikki Dhillon Keane, Head of Caritas Safe in Faith

  24. Jagbir Jhutti–Johal, Professor of Sikh Studies, University of Birmingham 

  25. Professor Tina Beattie, Professor Emerita of Catholic Studies, University of Roehampton, London

  26. The Rt Revd Dr Joanne Woolway Grenfell, Bishop of Stepney and Lead Safeguarding Bishop for the Church of England

  27. Natalie Collins, author and activist

  28. Sian Rees, head of Bible Society Wales

  29. Rt Revd Dr Jill Duff, Anglican Bishop of Lancaster

  30. The Rt Revd Vivienne Faull, Lord Bishop of Bristol

  31. Rev Catherine De Souza, CEO, Prison Fellowship England & Wales

  32. ​​Sally Hope, Domestic Abuse Practitioner and Writer

  33. Dr Selina Stone, Lecturer in Theology and Ethics, University of Edinburgh

  34. Dawn McAvoy, Both Lives UK

  35. Mandy Marshall, Director for Gender Justice, Anglican Alliance and Anglican Communion

  36. Revd Jenni Entrican, Former President of the European Baptist Federation

  37. Alicia Edmund, Head of public policy Evangelical Alliance

  38. Dr Madeleine Pennington, Quaker writer and head of research, Theos 

  39. Damilola Makinde, Advocacy engagement lead, Evangelical Alliance

  40. Julia Bicknell, ex–BBC Woman’s Hour producer; lay chaplain for asylum seekers/refugees

  41. The Rt Revd Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon

  42. Rev Mae Christie, Vicar, All Saints, Tooting

  43. Joy Madeiros, Co–Founder, Oasis UK

  44. Ann–Louise Graham, journalist and biblical counselor

  45. Prof. Anna Rowlands, St Hilda Professor of Catholic Social Thought and Practice

  46. Canon Dr Sanjee Perera, lay canon of Liverpool Cathedral, organisational psychologist and theologian

  47. Aja Thorburn, writer 

  48. Michelle Tant, Midwifery Lecturer and writer

  49. Joanna Davey, editorial director, Hodder Faith 

  50. Rev Bryony Taylor, Rector of Barlborough and Clowne and Author

  51. Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, director, SHERA research group

  52. Dr Caroline Hull, national director, Aid to the Church in Need (UK)

  53. Amy Summerfield, CEO, Kyria Network 

  54. Rev Liz Clutterbuck, Priest–in–Charge Emmanuel Hornsey Road, Islington

  55. Rev Leonora Wassell, Co–Chair, Methodist Women in Britain

  56. Rebecca (Bex) Chapman, General Synod member and vice–chair, Christians in Media

  57. Debra Green OBE, CEO, ROC

  58. Alice Gray, palliative care doctor and assistant pastor, Oasis Church, Birmingham

  59. Ruth Parrott, former president and co–chair, Methodist Women in Britain

  60. Shermara Fletcher–Hoyte, Principal Officer for Pentecostal, Charismatic and Multi–cultural Relations, Churches Together in England

  61. Catherine Butcher, author, lay reader, and member of General Synod

  62. Faith Van Horne, PhD, Theology and Religion, University of Birmingham 

  63. Jamie Phear, writer and speaker 

  64. Rachel Muers, Professor of Divinity, University of Edinburgh 

  65. Jayne Manfredi, Anglican Deacon

  66. Katharine Lock

  67. Rev Cham Kaur–Mann, Co–Director, Next Leadership

  68. The Rt Revd Esther Prior, Bishop of Aston

  69. Rev Dr Kate Coleman, Co–Director, Next Leadership

  70. Rosemary Nuamah–Williams, policy Adviser and advocate

  71. Jo Chamberlain, National Environment Officer, Church of England Environment Programme

  72. Dr Usha Reifsnider, Co regional Director, Lausanne Europe, Cultural Theology Consultant

  73. ​​Lucy Butt, CEO, Bramber Bakehouse

  74. Dr Janet Soskice, Professor of Philosophical Theology, Emeritus, University of Cambridge

  75. Stella Mbubaegbu CBE, FE College Principal & Chief Executive

  76. Mary McHugh, National Board of Catholic Women of England and Wales

  77. Hope Virgo, author, campaigner and Secretariat for the APPG for Eating Disorders

  78. Rev Bev Thomas Ecumenical Minister & Social Justice Advocate

  79. Rev Claire McClelland, Head of Chaplaincy, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals 

  80. Rev Jenny Kimble, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Regents Theological College

  81. Rev. Michelle Nunn, Principal, Regents Theological College, and Member of Elim’s National Leadership Team

  82. The Venerable Karen Best, Archdeacon of Manchester  

  83. Dr Anne Richards, Policy Adviser, Church of England

  84. Revd Dr Hannah Lewis, Lead Chaplain among the Deaf Community, Diocese of Oxford

  85. Janie Oliver, CEO, Stewardship

  86. Dr Calida Chu, Associate Editor, Practical Theology

  87. The Revd Jessica Monopoli, Assistant Curate, St Mary’s Cockerton, and Clergy Lead at The Haven in Darlington, Co. Durham

  88. Bobbi Kumari, founder, Living in Light 

  89. Barbara Earl, Croydon Quakers

  90. Danielle Finch, freelance writer (disability, family & faith)

  91. Rev. Rebecca Amoroso, Hospital Chaplain

  92. Christina Mottram, retired lay Catholic hospital chaplain, Leicester Hospitals

  93. Salomé Criddle, CEO, Thriving Women In Real Life

  94. Revd Dr Joanne Cox– Darling, Methodist presbyter

  95. Anupama Ranawana, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Theology and Religion, University of Durham

  96. Danielle Wilson, Pioneer Pastor, Birmingham

  97. Dr Claire Williams OMS, Lecturer in Practical Theology, Academic Inclusion Advocate, Regents Theological College

  98. Reverend Joyce Fletcher, National Executive Director of Women and Family for the Church of God of Prophecy

  99. Dionne Gravesande, trustee of Restored and co–chair, National Church Leader Forum

  100. Dr Beverley Samways, Director, Unique Connections

  101. Alianore Smith, member of the General Synod of the Church of England

  102. Revd Novette Headley,  Chair – Birmingham Methodist District

  103. Colette Joyce, co–ordinator, Justice and Peace Commission, Diocese of Westminster

  104. The Revd. Lis Goddard, vicar, St James the Less Pimlico

  105. Doreen Patricia Waugh, domestic abuse practitioner, Justice and peace representative

  106. Rev. Sarah Whittleston, National Elim Prayer Director

  107. Dr Eve Poole OBE Lay Canon, York Minster 

  108. Revd Alexandra Lilley, Vicar, St George and All Saints Tufnell Park and Dean of Women’s Ministry

  109. Michelle Dumont

  110. Revd. Canon Kate Wharton, Vicar of St. Bartholomew’s Church, Roby, Liverpool, General Synod member, and Prolocutor of the Lower House of the Convocation of York.

  111. Rani Joshi – South Asian Forum coordinator / Evangelical Alliance

  112. Baroness Shaista Gohir – CEO, Muslim Women’s Network UK 

This initiative follows a meeting organised in partnership with the Faith and Violence Against Women and Girls Coalition, and Restored, facilitated by Jewish Women’s Aid, and brought together by Theos.

For more information, see:

Addressing Spiritual Abuse in Ending Violence Against Women – Faith & VAWG Coalition

The Meaning of Dignity: What’s beneath the assisted dying debate? – Theos 

 [1] Addressing Spiritual Abuse in Ending Violence Against Women – Faith & VAWG Coalition

Image by Bernhard Schuermann on Pexels.

Chine McDonald

Chine McDonald

Chine is Director of Theos. She was previously Head of Community Fundraising and Public Engagement at Christian Aid. She has 16 years’ experience in journalism, media and communications across faith, media and international development organisations.

Watch, listen to or read more from Chine McDonald

Posted 4 April 2025

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