Violence against women in UK escalates

(MENAFN) The UK's public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), has criticized the government's efforts to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG), saying that the approach has been ineffective. The NAO's recent report highlights that the Home Office has failed to lead a comprehensive, effective response to the growing issues of rape and sexual assault.

The report, which evaluates the government’s 2021 strategy to address VAWG, found that the actions taken have neither helped victims nor created long-term societal change. According to the NAO, over one in four women will experience sexual assault or attempted assault in their lifetime, and one in 12 women fall victim to VAWG annually, though the actual numbers are likely higher.

The report also pointed to issues such as poor control over the allocation of funds and lack of oversight regarding the effectiveness of the policies. While £57 million ($70.6 million) was allocated in 2024-25 to tackle VAWG, including domestic abuse, 13 departments and agencies are involved in the initiative, but progress remains limited.

The government launched programs in 2021 and 2022 following high-profile cases of abuse, but the NAO report noted that a ministerial oversight group responsible for coordinating the efforts met just four times over three years.

The prevalence of sexual assault in England and Wales has risen from 3.4% in 2009-10 to 4.3% in 2023-24, with police-recorded incidents of rape and sexual assault surging from 34,000 to 123,000 in the same period, though some of this increase may reflect better crime recording.

A Home Office spokesperson acknowledged the report's criticism but emphasized that the current government is focused on delivering a comprehensive strategy to reduce violence against women and girls.

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