Violence against women in the UK is escalating, says watchdog
According to a report by the National Audit Office, the UK's initiatives aimed at tackling violence against women have not succeeded in enhancing the situation for victims. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
According to a recent report by the National Audit Office, efforts by UK authorities to combat violence against women and girls have not proven effective.
The Home Office has been criticized for failing to implement “an effective whole-system response” to the “serious and growing problem” of rape and sexual assault as recorded by police, as stated in the NAO’s report released on Friday.
The report reviews the government’s 2021 strategy targeting violence against women and girls (VAWG) and concludes that these efforts have not managed to assist victims or create meaningful societal change.
“Over one in four women are estimated to be victims of sexual assault or attempted assault in their lifetime, and one in 12 women are victims of VAWG each year, although the actual number is likely to be much higher,” the watchdog noted.
The review highlighted that UK government departments responsible for addressing violence against women lack adequate control over fund allocation and oversight regarding the effectiveness of policies.
The report specified that the Home Office has allocated £57 million for 2024-25 to combat VAWG, including domestic abuse. It emphasized that 13 departments and various government agencies are officially involved in tackling the challenges set out in the VAWG Strategy and the Domestic Abuse Plan.
These programs were launched in 2021 and 2022 in response to several high-profile cases involving women and girls who tragically lost their lives due to abuse.
The NAO report pointed out that a ministerial oversight group responsible for coordinating cross-government efforts to effectively implement the strategies “only met four times in three years.”
Furthermore, the prevalence of sexual assault among women aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales rose to 4.3% in 2023-24, compared to 3.4% in 2009-10. Additionally, police-recorded incidents of rape and sexual assault against this demographic increased from 34,000 to 123,000 during the same period, with the NAO recognizing that part of this rise may be due to enhanced crime recording practices.
In response to the report, a Home Office spokesperson informed Sky News that the NAO examined the “previous government’s work” and its “failure to deliver systemic change to deal with these devastating crimes.”
“We are delivering a step-change in the government’s response, as we work to deliver our unprecedented manifesto commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade,” the official added.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
The Home Office has been criticized for failing to implement “an effective whole-system response” to the “serious and growing problem” of rape and sexual assault as recorded by police, as stated in the NAO’s report released on Friday.
The report reviews the government’s 2021 strategy targeting violence against women and girls (VAWG) and concludes that these efforts have not managed to assist victims or create meaningful societal change.
“Over one in four women are estimated to be victims of sexual assault or attempted assault in their lifetime, and one in 12 women are victims of VAWG each year, although the actual number is likely to be much higher,” the watchdog noted.
The review highlighted that UK government departments responsible for addressing violence against women lack adequate control over fund allocation and oversight regarding the effectiveness of policies.
The report specified that the Home Office has allocated £57 million for 2024-25 to combat VAWG, including domestic abuse. It emphasized that 13 departments and various government agencies are officially involved in tackling the challenges set out in the VAWG Strategy and the Domestic Abuse Plan.
These programs were launched in 2021 and 2022 in response to several high-profile cases involving women and girls who tragically lost their lives due to abuse.
The NAO report pointed out that a ministerial oversight group responsible for coordinating cross-government efforts to effectively implement the strategies “only met four times in three years.”
Furthermore, the prevalence of sexual assault among women aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales rose to 4.3% in 2023-24, compared to 3.4% in 2009-10. Additionally, police-recorded incidents of rape and sexual assault against this demographic increased from 34,000 to 123,000 during the same period, with the NAO recognizing that part of this rise may be due to enhanced crime recording practices.
In response to the report, a Home Office spokesperson informed Sky News that the NAO examined the “previous government’s work” and its “failure to deliver systemic change to deal with these devastating crimes.”
“We are delivering a step-change in the government’s response, as we work to deliver our unprecedented manifesto commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade,” the official added.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
