ARThe Government has published a new strategy today to help protect women and girls against violence and harm offline and online, including a commitment to additional funding for support services for victims and survivors such as the Revenge Porn Helpline.
The strategy sets out to increase support for victims of violence whilst ensuring that more 'perpetrators are brought to justice'. It also aims to reduce the violence in the long term to ensure that women and girls can feel safe wherever they go.
This strategy has been developed from 180,000 responses from victims and survivors to the Government’s Call for Evidence. It was acknowledged that violence against women in public places occurred all too often.
Sophie Mortimer, Revenge Porn Helpline Manager, SWGfL said:
“We welcome the new Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and the abuse it addresses. The abuse that women and girls face online is significant. Since it opened in 2015, women account for nearly three quarters of victims reaching out to our Revenge Porn Helpline; a vital service that has now managed over 11,000 cases and removed over 200,000 intimate images. Every day we see the distress and impact that this form of abuse has as 4% of those whom we support express suicidal ideation. The Covid19 pandemic has merely magnified this issue as we’ve received more than a doubling of cases; a rate that shows no sign of slowing.”
What Does the Strategy Include?
The strategy includes long term goals as well as immediate action to help improve the safety of women and girls. You can read about these from Gov.uk.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said:
"The safety of women and girls across the country, wherever they are, is an absolute priority for me. It is unacceptable that women and girls are still subject to harassment, abuse, and violence, and I do not accept that violence against women and girls is inevitable.
I am determined to give the police the powers they need to crack down on perpetrators and carry out their duties to protect the public whilst providing victims with the care and support they deserve. This strategy, shaped by the responses of those who bravely came forward and shared their stories and experiences, will deliver real and lasting change."
Support for Victims, Prevention and Perpetrators
As part of the strategy, there will be an increased focus on support for victims with increased awareness on support services including the Revenge Porn Helpline. There are also preventive measures put forward and new recommendations for pursuing perpetrators. You can read about these from Gov.uk.
If you have been the victim of intimate image abuse, you can report it to the revenge porn helpline team.
*Strategy measures and facts taken from an orginal press release from Gov.uk
