A new strategy for tackling violence against women – where do we start?
Isabelle Younane, Head of External Affairs, Women’s Aid
| TSB
The UK government is committed to halving violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade. To do so will require a fundamental shift in how it interacts with businesses and civil society. That’s why Women’s Aid held its first Public Policy Summit, sponsored by TSB, to consider how we collectively respond to this challenge.
Too often misogyny, sexism and gender stereoty
pes are issues that continue to pervade our society – be it biased recruitment practices, home finances, or TikTok algorithms.
So how does a government – which, like all organisations, is not exempt from these social structures – even begin to tackle VAWG, let alone halve it in a decade? The scale of this challenge was laid bare in January’s National Audit Office report which found that governmental efforts since 2021 so far “have not improved outcomes for the victims of these crimes or the safety of women and girls more widely” and there is no consistent definition of VAWG across government and policing.
We believe meaningful solutions could lie in re-establishing the civil service’s relationship with the VAWG sector, as well as with key businesses, media partners and academics who can bring fresh perspectives and insights on the issue.
On justice, there is recognition about the lack of data within the criminal justice system on how many perpetrators of domestic abuse have been convicted. This data gap was exposed during the roll out of the government’s ‘Early Release Scheme’, whereby a number of prisoners convicted of crimes such as common assault were released after serving 40 per cent of their sentence in a move to ease prison overcrowding. Women’s Aid found that some of these had a history of domestic abuse and were sent home to their unsuspecting partners, resulting in further trauma and increased pressure on local support services.
To address the shift in culture we urgently need, there should be a focus on incentivising young men to respect women and pursue healthy relationships, by countering negative male role models with new, positive alternatives. In education, both potential perpetrators and victims need consistent pathways to support, with all teachers receiving specialist training on how to spot the signs of abuse and how to handle disclosures.
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Economic abuse is a snare often used to trap survivors with an abusive partner and urgent changes are needed to help survivors of economic abuse regain control of their finances. The Home Office Flexible Fund, administered by Women’s Aid, and business-led initiatives such as TSB’s ‘Flee Fund’ play a vital role in enabling survivors to access the basic essentials they need to flee abuse. The Employment Rights Bill also provides an important opportunity to impose reasonable measures on employers to support victims, including through the provision of paid domestic abuse leave.
Women’s Aid’s Public Policy Summit provided a new model for how the civil service might productively work with businesses and civil society. The government’s upcoming Civil Society Covenant, which promises to “usher in a new era of partnership between government and civil society”, could provide an important opportunity to bridge the gap. To ensure national policy decisions translate to local realities, the VAWG strategy requires regular and meaningful dialogue with the women who do this work every day, including those who represent marginalised communities.
And – if we truly want to address the root causes of VAWG in all facets of our society – they should be funded to do so.
Supported by TSB
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