On 8 March 2012 the government launched an updated action plan to tackle all aspects of violence against women and girls.
100 actions to tackle violence against women
Taking action - The new chapter updates the previous Call to end violence to women and girls action plan published March 2011. It contains 100 actions to tackle violence against women in the areas of prevention, provision of services, partnership working as well as justice outcomes and reducing the risk to victims.
The long-term commitment to combat and prevent this issue is fully justified. In the last year alone, there were over 1 million female victims of domestic abuse in England and Wales. Around 400,000 women are sexually assaulted and 80,000 women are raped each year. In the UK, more than one in four women will experience domestic abuse since the age of 16 years old, often with years of psychological abuse.
The new chapter is the latest update on this work, see all updates and reviews of the Call to end violence to women and girls action plan.
- 'No level of violence against women and girls is acceptable in modern Britain or anywhere else in the world' Theresa May, Home Secretary.
- Around two thirds (63%) of all incidents of domestic violence were experienced by repeat victims of the victims interviewed, a third (32%) were victimised more than once and 20 per cent were victimised three or more times;
- Seven per cent of women and five per cent of men reported having experienced any domestic violence in 2011/12;
- 1 in 4 women will suffer domestic violence in their lifetimes;
- In 2010/11 21 men and 93 women were killed by a partner, ex-partner or lover;
- The 2010/11 CSEW estimates: It is estimated 60,000 women have been raped in the last year, and;
- Over 300,000 women have been sexually assaulted in the last year.
- The 2010/11 CSEW found that after the age of 16, stalking affects around one in six (18%) women and one in eleven (9%) men.
- In 2011, the Forced Marriage Unit provided advice or support in almost 1500 cases, but we know that this does not reflect the full scale of the abuse, and many more cases are not reported. Research carried out by the then Department for Children, Schools and Families in 2009 estimated that a national prevalence of reported cases of forced marriage in England was between 5000 and 8000.
The action plan recognises that violence against women and girls occurs in all countries and is an issue which crosses borders. The Home Office:
- supports innovative new projects in poorest countries
- works with international organisations and governments overseas to globally promote women's rights and reduce the impact of conflict on women and girls
Working in partnership
We have to work together to achieve our goal of ending violence against women and girls. It is not a task for central government alone. We work with families and communities to change attitudes. Local authorities, police and crime commissioners, voluntary and community organisations, community safety partnerships, the NHS and more will need to work together to meet the needs of their local communities.
If you have experienced violence visit Directgov, which has information and support. If you are in immediate danger dial 999.
(Links will open in a new window)
- Department of Health: violence against women and children
- Forced marriage unit
- Female genital mutilation
- Government equalities office
- National domestic violence helpline
- National stalking helpline
- The poppy project
- NSPCC Helpline
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