violence Against Women Strategy Faces Criticism as Experts Claim process ‘Worse Than Under the Tories’
A growing chorus of organizations working to combat violence against women and girls (VAWG) are voicing sharp criticism of the government’s forthcoming strategy, alleging a chaotic and exclusionary development process. With a policy declaration expected next week, insiders claim the plan – initially anticipated in spring and then delayed through summer and autumn – is falling short of its enterprising goal to halve VAWG rates in the UK within a decade.
The concerns center on what many describe as a sidelining of crucial frontline expertise. Multiple sources within the VAWG sector have expressed dismay at the lack of meaningful consultation, with some claiming the process is “worse than under the Tories.” One representative stated that the sector felt it was being treated as “an afterthought,” particularly as the strategy’s release is timed just before parliament’s Christmas recess.
The strategy’s focus on perpetrator interventions has also been criticized, with some arguing it risks diverting resources from vital support services for victims, which should be a key target of the initiative. Though, the lack of meaningful consultation with established VAWG organizations has raised serious questions about its effectiveness.
Another sector representative recalled a more collaborative environment following the murder of Sarah Everard, when the Conservative government reopened a public consultation. “We saw more senior ministers and had more contact with the secretary of state under the last government,” they explained. “Ministers like Alex Davies-Jones and Jess Phillips have clearly worked hard on this, but it feels the machine has worked against them.”
The timing of the strategy’s expected release – just before parliament’s Christmas recess – has also drawn criticism, with some fearing it will be overlooked. “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 lamented. “It hasn’t felt like it’s been a properly considered process where they’ve really sought the expertise in a considered way. It’s been slightly haphazard.”
These concerns were formally echoed on Tuesday by Karen Bradley, chair of the Home Affairs Committee, who wrote to Phillips and Davies-Jones to express her dissatisfaction with the “poor engagement and openness with VAWG stakeholders” throughout the strategy’s development.Bradley highlighted the limited activity of the VAWG advisory board, which met only twice in person and onc online.
Despite the widespread criticism, some positive developments have been acknowledged. Andrea Simon, director of the end Violence Against Women and Girls coalition, pointed to £550 million in funding for victim support and proposed legal changes aimed at improving fairness in rape trials and banning depictions of strangulation in pornography.However, Simon stressed the need for a robust monitoring and evaluation structure. “Without that, the government will potentially fall foul of the lack of oversight we’ve seen in previous, underresourced strategies,” she warned. “There has been a lot of rhetoric about commitment to halving VAWG through a cross-government approach, but that won’t stand up unless they are willing to be open, transparent, and bring in external scrutiny.”
The lack of transparency extends to the strategy’s content itself. According to one source, a full document had not been shared with even a small group of trusted partners as of this week. “You have to ask how a cross-governmental, strong strategy is being built if none of the experts are at the table,” they stated.
The perceived lack of genuine consultation has left organizations feeling tokenized. Karen ingala Smith, a co-founder of the femicide Census, expressed disappointment at not being invited to join the VAWG advisory board. She described the two wider meetings she and her co-founder, Clarrie O’Callaghan, attended as “box-ticking” exercises. “It felt like it wouldn’t have mattered what we said, it wasn’t going to make any difference to what was written,” Ingala Smith said. “It felt perfunctory and tokenistic.”
The Femicide Census has, for the past decade, provided VAWG minister Jess Phillips with the names of women killed by men annually for presentation in parliament around International Women’s Day.Ingala Smith expressed concern that the government’s commitment to ending “the scourge of femicide” – a promise made last year – might potentially be diluted. “but it has been quiet since then,and we are concerned that promise will be watered down,” she said.
the Home Office has been approached for comment.
