Violence against Women and Girls getting worse

The National Audit Office has today published a highly critical report on the epidemic of violence against women and girls (VAWG). A review of the previous government’s 2021 strategy to tackle VAWG has found that it has not helped victims or delivered long-term societal change.

The watchdog report highlighted that disjointed efforts have made violence against women and girls a worsening issue, impacting 1 in 12 women in England and Wales and causing significant physical, mental, social, and financial harm to survivors. The review found that government departments responsible for addressing the issue lacked clear oversight on how funds were allocated and which policies were effective.

Despite growing public awareness, these systemic failures continue to leave victims unprotected and perpetrators unpunished. It is unacceptable that so many women live in fear, and too many have lost their lives due to inadequate intervention.

While we welcome the government’s pledge to halve domestic violence within the next ten years and treat these crimes with the seriousness they deserve, there is much more work to be done.

Tackling this issue requires a comprehensive, system-wide approach that involves collaboration across health services, education, social services, and community organisations. It is also essential to ensure that specialist support services, often life-saving for victims, receive sustainable, long-term funding. We hope to see these critical elements reflected in the government's soon-to-be-published strategy.

Find out more about our No More Violence Against Women campaign here.