In response to the publication of the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, Gemma Sherrington, CEO of Refuge, said:
“Every day, millions of women and girls live in fear of abuse and violence. After nearly 18 months of anticipation, the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy has now been published, setting out the Government’s ambition to halve VAWG within the decade. Whether this Strategy can deliver real change – or becomes another missed opportunity – will be a test of whether the Government and partners across sectors can collaborate to turn rhetoric into meaningful action.
“Refuge has long highlighted that for the VAWG Strategy to be truly effective, every government department must play an active, coordinated role. We strongly welcome the cross-government approach to addressing VAWG, which rightly brings together departments and sectors that have previously been absent from this agenda. With sustained accountability, this approach has potential to deliver the lasting, systemic change that women and girls deserve.
“Alongside these structural improvements, other positive measures include welcome protections for migrant survivors, increased regulation around some forms of technology-facilitated abuse, and, after years of Refuge’s campaigning efforts to rebuild women’s confidence in policing, a new policy requiring all police officers to hold and maintain vetting clearance, with stronger requirements on forces to suspend those under investigation for specified VAWG offences.
“Addressing VAWG effectively also requires a fundamental shift in how we educate and empower young people. By equipping them with knowledge, we can help them feel confident in recognising abuse and seeking support. We welcome the Strategy’s emphasis on prevention and education, particularly its plans to engage boys and men in these conversations to help build a society in which all young people feel safe and respected.
“However, without addressing the long-standing weaknesses in the system that supports survivors, there’s a real risk that its ambitions will not translate into tangible improvements in women and girls’ lives. Encouraging survivors to come forward must be matched by the capacity of services to respond, yet the Strategy fails to meaningfully address the deep and ongoing underfunding of specialist support services. Without this vital investment, it risks directing survivors towards a system that is already stretched beyond capacity. Unless these foundations are urgently fixed, the Strategy’s ability to deliver real change will be severely constrained.
“While the Government’s commitment of an additional £19 million¹ for safe accommodation over the next three years is welcome, it represents only a drop in the ocean compared to the number of survivors for whom safe housing could be the difference between life and death.
“The estimated total yearly shortfall from current government spending on specialist services is £307 million, including a £62 million shortfall for refuge services and £212 million for community-based services. Put simply, £6.3 million a year – £19 million over three – is not enough to support the many survivors in desperate need of somewhere safe to rebuild their lives.
“Specialist services have faced years of severe underfunding, leaving many at breaking point. Without increased investment, survivors will face an overstretched system unable to meet demand and ill-equipped to provide the vital support they need and deserve.
“Alongside increased investment, ensuring that even the limited resources available are used effectively requires clarity in how services are commissioned. The Strategy includes proposals to review the commissioning landscape, including a new national commissioning statement to define ‘by and for’ and specialist services, clarify government and local commissioning responsibilities, and guide the allocation of funding. We welcome the principle of greater clarity but call for robust consultation with the sector, particularly commissioned services, to ensure these changes meet the needs of survivors.
“While we are disappointed by the lack of new funding, which is essential to deliver real change, the VAWG Strategy still presents an opportunity to make a lasting difference to the lives of women and girls. However, this will require sustained leadership and robust accountability across government, alongside urgent action to fix the chronic underfunding of specialist services. Without this, women and girls will continue to pay the price.
“To make the Strategy’s ambitions meaningful, the Government must act swiftly to invest in specialist services, implement robust accountability measures, and ensure all departments play their part.”
