In the UK, a woman falls victim to a violent act by a man every three days, and nearly one in four women has reported experiencing sexual assault. Additionally, 71% of women have encountered some form of sexual harassment in public spaces, a figure that surges to a staggering 86% among women aged 18 to 24.

Violence against women and girls manifests in various distressing forms, encompassing domestic abuse, stalking, public sexual harassment, “honour-based” violence, forced marriages and many others. The past decade has seen the rise of newly emerging crimes against women, including ‘up-skirting’ and ‘revenge porn.’ With the proliferation of the internet and smartphones, these types of crimes are on the rise, presenting unprecedented challenges to the safety of women and girls. The impact of diverse socio-economic, ethnic, and other backgrounds also cannot be overlooked, as the experiences of violence can differ greatly for women and girls with diverse and intersecting identities. Women and girls from certain ethnic backgrounds or with certain disabilities can be more vulnerable to being subjected to violence, and the frontline services need to recognise that and respond accordingly.

In 2021, the UK Government introduced the Domestic Abuse Act to reinforce victim protection and ensure perpetrators face the law. Furthermore, in 2022, the Mayor of London published his new tackling violence against women and girls strategy for 2022-25, which sets out a long-term ambition to eradicate VAWG in London. Introduction of the new Policing violence against women and girls framework, as well as inclusion of women and girls’ in the UK government’s Online Safety Act have also been huge steps in the direction of violence against women and girls being eradicated from the society.

The Institute of Government & Public Policy’s Fourth Annual Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls Conference 2024 has been designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue of violence against women and girls, discussing various aspects, from prevention and law enforcement to harmful attitudes and safety in public spaces, with a focus on diverse perspectives and approaches to combat this problem.

Join us for the Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls Conference 2024 and gain valuable insights into methods for strengthening the system so that violence does not occur, as well as supporting victims within the criminal justice process, creating a future society that is significantly safer for women and girls.