Labour’s prevention strategy includes a focus on young people, with plans to upskill teachers and provide funding for specialists to tackle misogyny in schools. As young people are increasingly exposed to online content that normalises VAWG, this is a really important investment. We’re pleased to see the government acknowledge the need to address the underlying attitudes that enable and encourage perpetrators to cause harm. 

A second element of the government’s plans for prevention is to create a ‘national conversation’, including a summit, to build a ‘positive, aspirational agenda’ for men and boys. At Restored, engaging men in the conversation about domestic abuse has been part of our mission since our beginning; however, we also know that it’s vital to keep the needs and experiences of victims and survivors at the heart of our conversations. One should never come at the expense of the other, and we’ll be watching closely to see how the government strikes this balance. 

We’re pleased to see specific mention of tech-facilitated VAWG in the strategy. This includes regulation of platforms like nudification apps, but the strategy doesn’t elaborate on how these will be enforced. It’s vital that action is taken to hold tech companies accountable for content that is shared on their platforms. (For example, Refuge have highlighted the proliferation of image abuse via Grok, X’s AI platform)

The second strand of the strategy describes the government’s planned changes to the criminal justice system and law enforcement. This section acknowledges how responses to reports of VAWG vary across the country, as a slow and disjointed justice system too often leads to unfair outcomes. 

Plans include giving greater powers to law enforcement, plus access to enhanced technology for detecting and responding to abuse, putting VAWG on the same level as crimes like terrorism and organised crime. Whilst in principle this is a significant step, communication and training will be crucial to truly change the culture of our justice system at all levels. Stronger police officer vetting, which is also included in the strategy, is a positive step here, but effective implementation will be key. 

We’re pleased to see plans for the wider roll out of Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) units across police forces England and Wales, as well as embedding domestic abuse specialists in emergency response units. This should be rolled out as soon as possible to ensure that those reporting abuse and violence are met with an appropriate response that builds trust and supports victims to pursue justice.

The final strand of the strategy is to improve support for victims and survivors of VAWG. The strategy rightly describes how a fragmented service landscape leads to inconsistent support, and sets out plans to join up things like housing, health and justice – for example, by developing a referral service that will allow victims to connect with specialist help through their GP. 

There are also plans to change how funding is allocated and how support services are commissioned, with a new commissioning statement that the government says will provide a clearer definition of ‘by and for’ services. It’s essential that specialist services are included in discussions here so that the real needs of survivors are met. 

At Restored, we know that the court systems, perhaps most significantly the Family Courts, are not meeting the needs of the victims and survivors we support. Too many women are re-traumatised through the process, and parental contact is prioritised over safety. We’re pleased to see the strategy lay out plans to reform these systems and embed a trauma informed approach, with the aim of shifting the culture so that the safety of survivors, including children, always comes first. As with many other elements of the strategy, effective implementation, including through effective training, will be essential here, as attitudes and assumptions need to be changed and challenged at every level. 

Finally, the strategy acknowledges how intersecting, complex needs require holistic, tailored support. This includes plans to address inequalities faced by particular communities like Black and minoritised women, although these aren’t described in detail. 

To increase protection for migrant women, the strategy requires police to seek consent before sharing a domestic abuse victim’s information with Immigration Enforcement. Ensuring all women, regardless of demographic background or immigration status, feel safe and able to report crimes committed against them is essential in tackling VAWG, but the government should lay out stronger and more specific steps here.

Successful implementation of the strategy will lead to increased demand for specialist support services, which are already facing significant challenges when it comes to funding, capacity and staff wellbeing. The women and girls sector is facing a crisis of funding. Too many organisations are overstretched, struggling to meet the needs of victims and survivors. Staff and volunteer teams are over capacity, often feeling burnt out.  

Plans to make it easier and safer for victims and survivors to report crimes and ask for support are essential. But, this must be matched by an increase in funding and resources for the services who will be left to meet this demand. The government should set out robust plans to plug the gap in funding and increase capacity of services so that, when victims and survivors do come forward, they can quickly access the support they need from specialists who are properly resourced. 

Restored specialises in supporting Christian women who have experienced domestic abuse. We’re also committed to calling the Church to action, equipping churches to respond effectively to VAWG and highlighting where things need to change. We see first hand how faith communities can help or hinder women seeking support. 

The strategy describes how schools work and training for teachers will be key to challenging misogynistic attitudes at their root. But schools aren’t the only place you’ll find young people: across the country, churches and other faith communities host Sunday schools, kids clubs and youth groups which can be hugely influential in the lives of young people. An effective strategy for addressing VAWG should capitalise on this, with schools and statutory services working in collaboration with faith groups. As the government seeks a ‘whole of society’ approach, this kind of co-operation will be key. 

When it comes to support for survivors, the strategy acknowledges that intersecting identities can impact access to effective support. Ethnicity and migration status are significant factors here and we’re pleased to see them specifically named in the strategy. Not mentioned, though, is faith & religious identity, which can also limit a person’s ability to find support.  The government should ensure that the needs of survivors from faith communities are accounted for, with relevant specialist services involved in discussions and commissioning plans. 

When faith communities are equipped and supported, they can be transformative in the lives of survivors. Churches are able to walk alongside those who have experienced VAWG for the long term, making up a key element of the ‘tailored, holistic support’ that the government’s strategy describes. Faith groups also create opportunities for abuse to be identified or disclosed, through services like toddler groups, food banks and warm spaces. The government should encourage collaboration with churches and other faith groups and both at a local and national level in order to make the most of these opportunities for effective response.