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25 November 2009
An ambitious strategy aiming to bring an end to violence against women and girls was set out by the government today.
As well as measures to further protect victims and tackle perpetrators, the Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy (new window) signals a new focus on preventing violence from happening.
From 2011, preventing violence in relationships will be included in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, so attitudes which condone and perpetuate violence against women are addressed before they become entrenched in young people.
An awareness-raising marketing campaign to change behaviour will start in the New Year with a high profile drive to tackle violence in teenagers’ relationships.
The strategy sets out a range of actions for the police, local authorities, the NHS and government departments across three key areas – Protection, Provision and Prevention.
These include:
- more than £13 million of funding to help support victims of sexual and domestic violence
- development of a national communications strategy designed to address attitudes towards VAWG among all members of the public
- increased investment delivering a four-fold increase in Family Intervention Projects to support 10,000 families a year
- the Training and Development Agency for Schools will address violence against women in the review of professional standards for teachers in 2010, to help ensure teachers have the skills they need to tackle violence against women and girls
- development of a dedicated stalking and harassment helpline so emerging violence can be nipped in the bud
- a new online directory of services for victims of violence against women and funding for new 24-hour sexual violence helpline
- the piloting of Domestic Violence Protection Orders – or ‘Go’ orders - to exclude perpetrators from their homes and give victims space to apply for longer-term protection
- a Health Taskforce examining the role of the NHS in response to victims of violence against women and girls will publish recommendations in the new year
- development of a series of short films on violence against women and girls for patients on the NHS Choices website to supplement existing material on recognising domestic violence and seeking support.
Statement from the Prime Minister
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: 'Violence against women and girls is an obscenity. That is why we are taking action to bring perpetrators to justice and protect and support victims, but also to challenge the attitude that attacks on women and girls are in any way acceptable. A fair and responsible Britain has no place for violence of any sort.'
Statement from the Home Secretary
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: ''Violence against women and girls ruins lives, breaks up families and has a lasting impact across the generations.
'Much has been done over recent years to increase protection for women and to prosecute their attackers. However, this is a complex problem which demands an even broader response to stop violence from happening in the first place.
'Changing attitudes that tolerate violence against women and girls will take time but is essential if we are to eradicate this blight on women’s lives'
Statement from the Minister for Women and Equality
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality said: 'Tackling violence against women and girls is one of the Government’s top priorities. Since 1997 we’ve introduced specialist domestic violence courts; given more money for rape crisis centres; and toughened the law. This has contributed to a 64 per cent decrease in incidents of domestic violence, and a 50 per cent increase in rape convictions over the last ten years.
'But there is more to do, and it’s vital that we have a co-ordinated cross-government approach to combating all forms of violence against women and girls. The ‘Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls’ strategy provides this, and its focus on prevention is critical to long-term change.
'We have to work to change attitudes in order to eliminate violence against women and girls and to make it clear beyond doubt that any form of violence against women is unacceptable'.
Statement from the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls said: 'Violence against women and girls is unacceptable and we must do everything we can, together with the wider community, to stop it.
'We are committed to getting the message across in schools that VAWG should not be tolerated. From 2011, gender equality and preventing violence in relationships will be included in the statutory PSHE curriculum. We are also asking the Training and Development Agency for Schools to make sure that gender awareness and VAWG is included in a review of Professional Standards for Teachers in 2010. This will help to ensure that teachers have the skills and experience to tackle these issues effectively.
'However, we know that schools are only part of the solution. We need to make sure that the most troubled families get the support they need to stop problems from escalating. That is why we are increasing investment in Family Intervention Projects and from 2012, 10,000 families per year with complex needs will get help to tackle difficult issues such as domestic violence. Over 400 FIP workers have already been trained to identify and respond to domestic violence and a recent evaluation showed that they are helping to significantly improve the lives of vulnerable families, including reducing incidences of domestic violence.'
Statement from the Chair of the End Violence Against Women Coalition
Professor Liz Kelly, Chair of the End Violence Against Women Coalition said; 'We are delighted that the government is launching an integrated strategy on all forms of violence against women, including rape, domestic violence, trafficking and forced marriage. We welcome the focus on stopping violence before it starts through education and public campaigns.
'When consulted on the strategy, women stressed the importance of women-only services and places where they could seek support in confidence. So it's vital that the strategy sustains and extends frontline women's services, particularly as the vast majority of women still do not report to the police.'
Statement from the Chief Executive of Refuge
Sandra Horley OBE, Chief Executive of Refuge, said: 'Refuge is pleased that the Government’s new strategy focuses on preventing violence against women and girls. This huge social issue will only end when people are educated about why it happens and where they can get help.
'Prevention will help in the long-term, but in the meantime there is an urgent need for services for abused women and children. Whilst we acknowledge that additional funding has been pledged, much more will be needed if we are to reach every single woman and girl. As it stands, one third of local authorities still provide no domestic violence services whatsoever.'
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The ‘Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls’ strategy was informed by one of the largest public consultations ever undertaken on the issue. Around 10,000 responses were received and more than 300 victims of violence shared their experiences and views in focus groups undertaken for the Home Office by the Women’s National Commission.
2. The strategy also draws on the initial findings of a number of more detailed reviews, including: the Health Taskforce examining the NHS response to VAWG led by Professor Sir George Alberti; the DCSF Violence Against Women and Girls Advisory Group on the role of schools in preventing VAWG, and Baroness Stern’s review into the response of the criminal justice system and other agencies to rape complaints. Each of these reviews will report over the next few months and will further develop the proposals set out in this strategy. Reviews were undertaken into legal powers to control serial perpetrators led by Chief Constable Brian Moore, the sexualisation of young people conducted by Dr Linda Papadopoulos, and the experience of victims of rape of the criminal justice system by Sara Payne.
3. The Together we can end violence against women and girls strategy (new window) is available on the Home Office website. A full list of actions can be found in Annex A.
4. The scale of violence against women is difficult to measure. However, the British Crime Survey, the largest survey which asks about people’s experiences of crime, estimates that around a million women experience at least one incident of domestic violence a year and around 10,000 women are sexually assaulted each week. At least 750,000 children witness domestic violence each year and are twice as likely to have behaviour problems (Department of Health, 2002).
5. View the domestic violence film (new window) on NHS Choices.
6. For more information, call the Home Office press office on 0207 035 3535.
