The latest report from the UK National Audit Office (NAO) lays bare the horrifying reality that many of us working in this space already knew: the UK’s response to violence against women and girls (VAWG) is failing – and failing badly.
Despite years of government strategies and promises, the crisis is getting worse.
- Police reports of rape and sexual assault nearly quadrupled in a single year, rising from 34,000 to 123,000 in 2023-24, though this increase is partly due to improved crime recording.
- One in twelve women in England and Wales is affected by VAWG.
- VAWG accounted for 20% of all police-recorded crime in 2022-23.
- The Home Office lacks a clear understanding of how much is being spent across government and whether interventions are making a real difference.
This report is a wake-up call. It confirms what frontline professionals and survivors have been saying for years: piecemeal approaches don’t work. Underfunded services don’t work. A disjointed system doesn’t work.
And now, as if to deepen the crisis, concerns have emerged that the Government may remove central support for women’s health hubs – a move that, if confirmed, would strip away vital healthcare access for women and contradict every promise made about prioritising women’s health.
If we are serious about tackling VAWG, we need a whole-system response. That means:
- Healthcare professionals trained to recognise and respond to abuse – because survivors often turn to their GP first. Yet, as the report highlights, most recent prevention efforts have focused on reducing reoffending rather than avoiding initial offences. Making sure that general practitioners can identify and refer patients to support is crucial to breaking the cycle of abuse before it begins – exactly what IRIS does.
- A coordinated, properly funded cross-government approach – not just a Home Office-led strategy.
- Perpetrators being held accountable – and survivors being heard, supported, and given safe spaces to heal.
- Employers, businesses, and private sector organisations stepping up – because violence against women affects workplaces, productivity, and the economy.
At IRISi, we know what works. When healthcare, frontline services, and specialist organisations work together with proper funding and support, survivors are safer, perpetrators are challenged, and society as a whole benefits.
The Government has promised to halve VAWG in a decade. But promises mean nothing without action. We need urgent investment, sustained commitment, and leadership that refuses to accept this as inevitable.
We will not stand by while women suffer, services crumble, and accountability is dodged.
What will it take for real change to happen?
