Report from Women’s National Commission focus groups on strategy to end violence against women and girls

Posted on November 25, 2009
Filed Under 16 Days 2009 2008, Consultation, England, Publication, Violence Against Women, Women's Group | Comments Off

To inform the ‘Together we can end violence against women and girls’ consultation earlier this year, the Home Office commissioned the Women’s National Commission (WNC) to undertake focus groups to gather women’s views on their experiences of violence, what would make women and girls feel and be safer, and on suggested proposals to prevent violence against women and girls. This report summarises the findings of the 24 focus groups of 300 women that were held, and is designed around the themes used in the consultation and VAWG strategy of prevention, provision and protection.

Still we rise: a report from the Women’s National Commission (WNC) focus groups (PDF file – 641kb)
Report from WNC focus groups to inform the cross-government consultation: ‘Together we can end violence against women and girls.’

Conclusion

This report reflects the views and recommendations made by the 300 women and girls we consulted with to inform the cross-government’s consultation on ending violence against women and girls.

This material provides a vast and unique body of evidence to inform the development, implementation and review of future strategy and policy to end violence against women and girls. The methodology and lessons learnt also provide a useful tool to inform the development of further national and local government consultations with women and girls.

We consulted with women from different walks of life and with different experiences, yet there were overwhelmingly common threads that bound these experiences together. Our main finding was that women and girls expressed a significant lack of confidence and trust in statutory services like the police, courts, health and local authority services. They told us they were unhappy with the way they are treated by them, and described statutory services as dismissive, judgemental and unhelpful in their responses to women and girls seeking help. Indeed, women said they saw statutory services as yet another barrier to them reaching safety rather than seeing them as sources of support.

Although there was evidence of some good practice, the focus groups starkly illustrate how inadequate many statutory services are in responding to violence against women and girls. We know that legislation, strategies, policies and action plans have been developed to address different forms of violence against women, but the groups’ experiences demonstrated how these are neither being effectively co-ordinated, implemented, nor monitored consistently across the country.

So much of what needs doing in response to violence against women and girls does not have long term resource implications. Significantly, women said they are as concerned with how a service is delivered as they are with what is delivered. It became clear that a culture shift is necessary where women and girls are believed and not blamed for the violence perpetrated against them. All women and girls wanted to be treated with dignity and respect whoever they came into contact with, and existing legislation, and in particular the gender equality duty and current Equalities Bill, sets the framework for this to become a reality providing that it is implemented as it should be. Indeed international instruments like the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women for which Government is a signatory, also sets the framework.

Women particularly valued independent women’s services that specialised in responding to violence against women, where they existed. They welcomed being supported in a safe women-only environment that was independent of statutory services and that did not require them to report to other agencies. Women said they appreciated a timely, holistic response to their complex and multiple needs, which focussed on their safety and empowerment without labelling or judging them, or limiting the service to times of crisis. Specifically, women told us they wanted services that are accessible for the most vulnerable groups, that are available out of hours, and that provide a safe space to talk with other women to share experiences and get mutual support.

Our findings serve to reinforce the need for all services and approaches to be joined-up, fully funded, intelligent and responsive, and to prioritise the safety of women and girls at all stages of intervention. In particular, their experiences demonstrated a clear need to develop a comprehensive strategy on violence against women and girls. This strategy needs to establish and implement an effective legislative, policy and service framework to prevent violence that is underpinned by clear responsibilities, targets, and review mechanisms, and sustainable resources for national and local specialist services for women and children experiencing violence and abuse.

We know what works from research, experience, and from the informed opinions of survivors, that it is possible to achieve a reduction in violence against women and girls, and we know what has to be done to protect them from this violence and abuse. Evidence indicates that where there is good practice in responding to violence against women, women felt valued, confident and safe, that their human rights were being realised, and that they were able to participate in their community. In turn, children were safer and able to form healthy relationships; crime and vulnerability was reduced as were costs to services and the state. There are obvious benefits for the state from the protection and value it can offer its citizens. If this can be achieved, then increased safety for all women and girls and the prevention of violence in the longer term will inevitably follow.

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