Grim report raises concerns over Labour's vow to cut violence against women and girls

Efforts to tackle violence against women and girls are focusing too much on reacting to crimes instead of preventing them, MPs have warned.

The Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) cast doubt over ’s ability to achieve its pledge to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade. It said not enough was being done “to prevent perpetrators committing these crimes in the first instance”.

MPs in particular raised concerns about a “reactive approach” to tackling growing social media threats against women and girls.

It said it was not convinced the Department for Education is taking “a sufficiently proactive role in educating young people, especially boys, on the dangers on exposure to harmful online content, and how this can lead to misogynistic attitudes”.

MPs equally raised concerns about the support available for victims, finding evidence of refuges having to refuse 65% of requests and community-based services only able to support half of those who ask for help.

VAWG affects at least one in 12 women each year and one in five police recorded crimes in 2022-23 were related to VAWG, PAC said. But the committee found it is likely that the true number of those affected is even higher, as many incidents go unreported.

MPs raised concerns around data collection on VAWG, with the Home Office not collecting information on all crime types, nor on responses from under-16s.

Anna Dixon, a member of the Public Accounts Committee, said: “The levels of violence against women and girls in our country are truly appalling and it is right the government have set out a mission to halve it. This is not an issue the Home Office can tackle alone; while arresting perpetrators is vital, it will not solve this problem.

“It is crucial that we address the underlying cultural issues, particularly the rise in harmful online content shaping misogynistic views in young men and boys. Education and other preventative measures to counter the spread of harmful content are needed.”

READ MORE: