At the end of 2025, the Government published its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy. It is something many organisations have been waiting to see for a long time.
The timing feels important. Conversations about women’s safety have become part of everyday life in a way they were not a few years ago. Women talk openly about changing how they travel, where they go, and what they do, often without thinking twice about it. Feeling unsafe has become normalised, even when it shouldn’t be.
For domestic abuse services, none of this is new. These stories come up every day, in different forms, from different people. What has changed is the willingness to name the problem publicly, and to acknowledge that violence against women and girls is not rare, or exceptional, or confined to certain places or situations.
That context matters when looking at the strategy.
When the Government took office in July 2024, it said it would halve violence against women and girls within ten years. It was a strong statement, and one that raised expectations that a clear plan would follow.
Pressure for that plan had been building for some time. Services working directly with survivors had been warning that demand was increasing, and that systems were struggling to keep up. Many organisations were already operating with limited funding and short-term arrangements, while trying to respond to complex and often urgent needs.
Police data later confirmed what many people already knew from experience: a significant amount of police time is spent dealing with violence against women and girls. Senior figures began describing the situation as a national emergency. Even so, progress towards a joined-up response remained slow, and the repeated delays to the strategy added to frustration across the sector.
There were also questions about how the strategy was released. Publishing it shortly before Parliament broke for Christmas meant there was little space for detailed discussion or challenge. Still, now that it exists, there is some hope - cautious, but real - that it could lead to meaningful change, if it is followed through properly.
The strategy itself covers a lot of ground. Education, health, policing, housing and specialist support services all feature.
Rather than presenting a single solution, it reflects the reality that violence against women and girls develops over time, and is shaped by attitudes, experiences and systems. How young people learn about relationships matters most. How safe someone feels asking for help matters. What happens after abuse is disclosed matters too.
Among the commitments are training for teachers, healthy relationship education in secondary schools, new support roles for young people, additional funding for safe accommodation, specialist police teams for serious sexual offences, and clearer referral pathways within the NHS.
Much of this reflects what specialist services have been calling for over many years. Whether it will make a difference now depends on how it is delivered, and whether it is resourced properly over the long term.
Because of the timing of its release, many organisations have not yet had the opportunity to fully assess the detail of the strategy. Early responses have focused more on direction than specifics.
Women’s Aid has described it as a positive step towards a more coordinated response, particularly welcoming the focus on prevention and education.
Leeway’s Chief Executive, Jools Ramsey-Palmer, also welcomed the publication, while recognising how overdue it has been.
“Violence against women is at epidemic levels, and I’m relieved the Government have declared it a national emergency requiring robust cross-government action to deliver meaningful and lasting change.”
She spoke about cautious optimism around the range of measures announced, alongside an awareness of how complex the issue has become.
“It is positive to see an emphasis on long-term prevention, particularly education around healthy relationships, which has a key role to play in challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours.”
While the strategy places responsibility across education, health and policing, there are concerns about how this will work in practice.
Many statutory services are already under pressure. Adding new expectations without addressing funding and capacity risks stretching them further.
Specialist domestic abuse services continue to play a crucial role. They are often the first place survivors turn, and sometimes the only place they feel able to speak openly. These services understand the barriers people face when seeking help - fear, shame, practical concerns, and the worry about not being believed.
Children and young people have also been clear about where they feel most comfortable talking about their relationships.
“Children and young people have told us that they prefer not to talk to teachers about their relationships and feel safer speaking with people outside their everyday school environment.”
That perspective is important when thinking about prevention and education, and about who is best placed to deliver it.
The strategy includes commitments to toughen action against perpetrators and specialist police teams to investigate rape and sexual offences. These are welcome developments.
At the same time, it is important to recognise that many survivors do not report abuse to the police, or choose not to continue with the process. This is not because abuse is less serious, but because the criminal justice system can feel overwhelming, slow and unpredictable.
Long delays, unclear outcomes and the emotional impact of court proceedings continue to act as barriers. If these issues are not addressed, there is a risk that changes made on paper will not be felt by many of the people they are intended to support.
As attention turns to implementation, questions remain about funding, commissioning and long-term stability for specialist services.
Survivors need to know that support will still be there when they need it - not just now, but in the years ahead.
Leeway will continue to follow developments closely and engage where possible. As more details emerge, including around policy decisions and funding arrangements, we will keep supporters informed.
