28 Jul 2021
The Government published its refreshed Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy on Wednesday 21st July. The Strategy sets out how the government plans to prevent violence against women and girls, improve the experiences of survivors, ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, and enhance the way different organisations work together.
Agenda welcomes the strategic focus on improving multi-agency working, which is vital for a cross-system approach to tackling VAWG. We look forward to seeing the detail of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s plans to develop local ‘pathfinder’ projects for enhanced trauma-informed mental health support for sexual abuse survivors with the most complex needs. The increased funding for specialist ‘by and for’ services supporting Black and minoritised women and girls, migrant women and girls, LBT women and girls and disabled women and girls who have survived violence and abuse is also positive. To ensure it reaches women and girls, this must be ring-fenced funding for gender-specialist services. This must include specialist services working with girls and young women specifically, to address their age-specific needs. Given the scale need, it is clear much more substantial and long-term investment is needed.
We are disappointed though that women and girls at the sharpest end of inequality are overlooked. While there is some consideration for the mental health impact of VAWG, and the Strategy highlights that domestic abuse can often lead to women and girls experiencing poverty and homelessness – the multitude of ways VAWG is compounded by multiple disadvantage (as outlined in Agenda’s consultation response) are neglected. In fact, multiple disadvantage* is identified as a risk factor for perpetrating abuse, rather than experiencing it. This is a missed opportunity to break the vicious cycle of violence, abuse and disadvantage, leaving thousands of women and girls without adequate support.
We are also disappointed to see that many of the objectives for 2020 that were not met in the previous strategy, including more firmly embedding routine enquiry into domestic abuse in maternity and mental health services, have not been carried through to this refreshed strategy. Without a transparent and rigorous monitoring and evaluation process, this strategy also risks falling short of delivering the positive changes it strives to achieve.
We hope the government will engage with and consult the violence against women and girls sector in the implementation of this strategy, including setting clear deadlines. The Ministerial-led Oversight Group must ensure this strategy joins up with the Domestic Abuse Strategy, and that the most vulnerable women and girls experiencing violence and abuse are able to access life-saving support.
*Here referenced as experience of child abuse, substance use needs or mental health problems.