Government’s process behind tackling violence against women ‘worse than under the Tories’ | Politics

Organisations working to end violence against women and girls have criticised the government’s approach to its forthcoming strategy, describing the process as chaotic and “worse than under the Tories.” Ministers are preparing to announce details of the plan next week, which is expected to focus on preventing radicalisation of young men, stopping abusers, and supporting victims.

Concerns Over Strategy Development

Multiple sources within the violence against women and girls (VAWG) sector have expressed concern that ministers have sidelined first-hand expertise and that the strategy will not be radical enough to meet the government’s manifesto pledge to halve the rate of VAWG in the UK within a decade. The strategy, initially expected in spring, was then delayed until summer and autumn.

One sector figure stated the current process was “worse than under the Tories,” adding, “you could get a meeting [previously], they engaged with you. This whole process has been incredibly haphazard.” Another noted increased access to ministers under the previous Conservative government, particularly following the murder of Sarah Everard, when a public consultation was reopened.

Despite acknowledging the efforts of ministers like Alex Davies-Jones and Jess Phillips, the source felt that internal processes hindered their work. Karen Ingala Smith, a co-founder of the Femicide Census, expressed disappointment at not being invited to join the VAWG advisory board, describing meetings she attended as “box-ticking” exercises.

Timing and Transparency Issues

Concerns have also been raised about the timing of the strategy’s publication, with some fearing it will be overlooked due to parliament closing for the Christmas recess. “They’ve had 18 months and now they’re scrabbling around in the last week of parliament. It just feels like an afterthought,” one source said.

Karen Bradley, chair of the home affairs committee, wrote to Phillips and Davies-Jones to complain about “poor engagement and transparency with VAWG stakeholders” and highlighted limited activity of the VAWG advisory board, which met only twice in person and once online.

Positive Steps and Calls for Accountability

Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women and Girls coalition, acknowledged positive government moves, including £550m of funding for victim support, proposed legal changes to improve the fair treatment of victims in rape trials, and a ban on depictions of strangulation in pornography. She called for a monitoring and evaluation structure to ensure accountability.

A government spokesperson stated: “It is our mission to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade. This requires a total transformation across government. Our violence against women and girls strategy does exactly that. It is targeted at preventing these awful crimes, tackling perpetrators so they can’t offend again, and helping victims to get justice.”