Police funding cuts are just the tip of the iceberg – women are being failed across the board

12 December 2024, 19:22

Police funding shortfalls are one of a myriad of issues standing in the way of tackling violence against women and girls

Male violence against women and girls (VAWG) is at epidemic levels. Every five days, one woman is killed by an abusive partner or ex in England and Wales.

Refuge’s mission to eliminate domestic abuse will not cease until all women and girls are safe, but as a society, we still have a long way to go.

Alarm bells have been raised by police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about an underfunded and overstretched police force, with implications for the Met’s ability to tackle crime.

How the underfunding will affect the Met in action has yet to be seen, but one thing is clear: women are already being failed in countless ways, and we cannot afford for any further shortcomings in keeping women and girls safe.

Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse organisation, believes the safety of women and girls must be placed at the heart of policing, but many survivors are too fearful to report these crimes to the police, and all too often those that do are failed by the system supposed to protect them.

The 2023 Casey Report illustrated how misogyny is culturally ingrained within policing, while Refuge’s Remove the Rot campaign revealed the shocking magnitude of police-perpetrated domestic abuse.

Tackling VAWG was made a national strategic policing priority last year, which is absolutely essential in ensuring that as many survivors as possible can access justice.

Similarly, the Government has pledged to halve VAWG within the next decade, indicating that a lack of awareness is not the issue, but rather a serious shortage of resources.

While Refuge welcomed both initiatives, we desperately need clear targets as to how both the Government and police forces are working to actively eradicate VAWG.

Government funding for police forces is not the only issue at play here – the VAWG sector itself, which provides lifesaving support for thousands of survivors every year, has faced years of chronic underfunding.

At a time when VAWG is devastatingly prevalent, and many services are at breaking point, adequate investment into the sector is needed more than ever. We have made clear time and time again that this terrifying epidemic of male violence against women and girls will not cease until we see long-term, dedicated funding for support services. Action is needed now before more lives are lost to violence.

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