👊 Violence against Women and Girls

• National Emergency: The scale of violence against women in the UK is described as a national emergency, with a government commitment to halve this violence over the next decade.

• Condemnation of Threats: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice condemned threats made against the Safeguarding Minister and reaffirmed the government’s determination to tackle violence against women and girls.

• Education and Prevention: The government emphasizes the importance of education in preventing violence, aiming to address the root causes through cultural shifts and engaging men in the solution.

• Legal System Reforms: Efforts will be made to improve the legal system’s effectiveness in handling these crimes, including faster justice processes for rape victims and addressing court backlogs.

• New Criminal Offences: The government plans to introduce new laws criminalizing the creation of sexually explicit deepfake images and spiking, aiming to protect individuals and punish offenders.

• Support for Victims: Measures are being implemented to enhance support for victims, including independent legal advisors for rape victims and better enforcement of the victims’ code.

• Cross-Government and Multi-Agency Approach: A coordinated approach involving various government departments and agencies is planned to tackle the issue comprehensively.

• Online and Technological Abuse: There is a focus on addressing online abuse and technological advancements that facilitate new forms of violence and harassment.

• Public Health Perspective: Some MPs suggested viewing violence against women and girls as a public health issue, highlighting the need for a broader societal approach beyond just criminal justice.

• Focus on Perpetrators: Emphasis was placed on targeting high-harm offenders and understanding why men engage in such violence, with initiatives to track and manage these individuals.

• Funding for Services: Concerns were raised about the funding for support services, with calls for sustainable long-term financial support for organizations helping victims.

• International and Cultural Context: The debate acknowledged the global context of violence against women, mentioning cases from other countries and emphasizing the need for cultural change.

• Role of Men and Boys: The importance of engaging men and boys and challenging toxic masculinity was highlighted as crucial to reducing violence against women and girls.

• Legislation and Policy: There was discussion on previous and upcoming legislation, including the Domestic Abuse Act and the potential for new laws to improve protections and support.

The session on violence against women and girls exhibited a generally collaborative tone, with a strong focus on policy and legislative proposals to address the issue. The majority of the contributions were supportive of the initiatives put forward by the Government, indicating a shared commitment across different parties to tackle the problem. However, there were some instances of disagreement, particularly regarding the pace and effectiveness of past and current governmental actions. The shadow Minister critiqued the previous government’s efforts as insufficiently implemented despite good legislative intentions, and there was debate over data collection and the prioritization of certain policies. Nevertheless, these disagreements were expressed constructively and did not overshadow the overall unity on the objective of reducing violence against women and girls. The session’s atmosphere was more about urging action and improvement rather than conflict or significant division.