As the UK marks the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the government has announced a series of tough new measures to combat violence against women and girls, both domestically and globally.
Details of the New Initiative
At the heart of these new initiatives is a strong focus on tackling online violence and abuse. The UK government is launching the “Safe Online: Preventing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence” project, backed by over £27 million in funding.
This project aims to support survivors of online violence, gather data to better understand this emerging threat, and minimize women’s exposure to harmful content by working with national regulators.
Given that 85% of women globally have witnessed or experienced online abuse, this initiative is crucial in addressing a pervasive issue.
Additionally, the government is partnering with three women’s rights organisations in Kenya and South Africa CREAW, Soul City Institute, and Reach Digital Health to develop new preventative strategies.
These partnerships are part of the UK government’s What Works to Prevent Violence programme, which seeks to scale up effective approaches to prevent violence against women and girls globally.
UK’s support to end violence against women globally has contributed to:
- A 15% reduction in the global prevalence of child marriage over the last decade, averting 25 million marriages.
- Pioneering approaches that have successfully reduced rates of GBV in less than three years.
- Protecting over 160,000 girls under 14 from undergoing female genital mutilation in just one year.
Domestic Abuse Protections
Domestically, the UK government is introducing several key measures to enhance protection for victims of domestic abuse. Raneem’s Law, named after Raneem Oudeh who was tragically murdered by her ex-husband despite multiple reports to the police, will place domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms.
This move ensures that calls for help are treated with urgency and that warning signs are not ignored. The law also introduces national guidance that makes it a statutory requirement for police officers to follow specific protocols in domestic abuse cases.
The government is also launching a new Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO) pilot, which allows police to issue orders preventing abusers from contacting or approaching their victims.
Unlike current protections, these new orders will have no maximum duration and will include stricter conditions such as electronic tagging and mandatory attendance in behaviour change programs.
Expected Impact
These initiatives are expected to have a significant impact on reducing violence against women and girls. By equipping emergency responders with the tools and expertise needed to protect victims effectively, the government aims to halve incidents of violence within the next decade.
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, has emphasized the importance of these reforms, noting that the police receive a call related to domestic abuse every 30 seconds.
The new measures also address the critical issue of spiking, which will now become a new criminal offence. This move includes training thousands of staff in the nighttime economy to spot and tackle spiking, providing victims with greater confidence to report offences and ensuring a robust response from the police.
The Safe Online Project
The implementation of these measures will involve a coordinated effort across various sectors. The Safe Online project will work closely with national regulators and technology companies to minimize harmful content.
The government will roll out the DAPO pilot and Raneem’s Law in targeted police forces from early 2025, aiming to expand these initiatives nationwide.
In addition, the government will work with schools to teach children about respect, consent, and healthy relationships as part of the Safer Streets Mission Board’s broader strategy. This cross-government approach will focus on prevention, education, and enforcement to tackle the root causes of violence against women and girls.
Closing Thoughts
The UK government’s new initiatives mark a significant step forward in the fight against violence against women and girls.
By addressing both online and offline forms of violence, and through international collaborations, the government is demonstrating a commitment to creating a safer and more just society for all.
As Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds noted,
“This government is committed to tackling the epidemic of misogyny and violence against women and girls, which destroys lives and scars communities.”
Sources: THX News, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Lord Collins of Highbury & The Rt Hon Anneliese Dodds MP.
