Introduction: A bold call from Jess Phillips
In public discussions about violence against women and girls (VAWG), few voices are as blunt or as persistent as that of Labour MP Jess Phillips. Her recent remarks about strangulation as a form of violence, and not a normal part of sexual behaviour, underscore a broader political and social debate: have policy reforms since 2010 tangibly reduced harm for women and girls?
The three policy waves and one refresh
Since 2010, the UK government has pursued three major strategic approaches to VAWG, with one refresh intended to sharpen the focus. The first wave framed VAWG as a matter of criminal justice and safeguarding, prioritising stronger policing responses, improved prosecution rates, and clearer reporting channels for victims. The second wave expanded cross-government collaboration, aiming to connect health, housing, education, and social services so that violence could be detected earlier and addressed more holistically. The third wave placed greater emphasis on survivor voices, ensuring that services were user-led and that policy design incorporated feedback from those most affected. A mid-cycle refresh sought to recalibrate funding, streamline referral pathways, and increase accountability for local authorities and police forces.
What the data tell us: progress and gaps
By 2024, police chiefs and criminology researchers were describing the scale of violence against women and girls as a persistent and evolving challenge. Several factors complicate the assessment: underreporting, varying regional capacity, shifting trajectories of abuse from domestic settings to online platforms, and the long shadow cast by unequal gender norms. While some indicators show improvements in reporting, safeguarding referrals, and the timeliness of investigations, other indicators point to gaps in prevention, early intervention, and the consistency of services across regions.
Reporting and prosecution
Encouragingly, more victims have felt able to come forward in some areas, aided by dedicated domestic abuse units, improved victim support, and clearer processes. Yet prosecution and conviction rates for certain offences—such as coercive control and strangulation—remain uneven across jurisdictions, highlighting persistent resource constraints and training gaps among frontline professionals.
Prevention and education
Prevention efforts—ranging from school-based education to public awareness campaigns—aim to challenge harmful myths and teach consent, respect, and healthy relationships from a young age. The effectiveness of these programs is uneven, with some schools implementing comprehensive curricula and others lacking sustainable funding. The 2024 conversations around strangulation as a criminal offence emphasize the need for explicit, ongoing education about forms of violence that are often mistaken or minimised.
Why policy may feel incremental, not transformative
Policy cycles in the UK are lengthy, and measurable leaps in reducing violence against women and girls are often slow to materialise in official statistics. Factors such as funding stability, political priorities, and local leadership play substantial roles in whether national ambitions translate into consistent, high-quality local services. Critics argue that three waves of policy, plus a refresh, have not been enough to eradicate entrenched gender norms or the hidden harm of coercive control, strangulation, and other forms of abuse.
What comes next: concrete steps for improvement
To translate ambition into safer communities, experts suggest several concrete steps: sustained funding for domestic abuse services and independent advocacy; mandatory training for police, prosecutors, and healthcare workers on recognizing non-physical forms of violence; standardized national data collection to better monitor trends; and long-term public health campaigns that address the root causes of VAWG, including gender inequality and harmful social norms.
Conclusion: A continued public mandate for change
Jess Phillips’ comments reflect a broader conviction that violence against women and girls is not an acceptable norm. While policy shifts over the past decade have yielded important improvements in some areas, the 2024 picture suggests that progress is uneven and that more consistent, well-funded action is required. The aim is clear: every woman and girl should live free from violence, with services that respond quickly, treat survivors with dignity, and confront the attitudes that enable abuse.
