UK Unveils £1 Billion Strategy to Combat VAWG

The UK government has unveiled a comprehensive national strategy to combat violence against women and girls, declaring it a national emergency and committing £1 billion over three years to prevention, prosecution, and victim support. Announced on Thursday by Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips in Parliament, the plan treats the issue with the same urgency as terrorism and organized crime, aiming to halve such violence within a decade.

The strategy emphasizes early intervention, particularly in schools, where £20 million will fund programs to educate secondary students on healthy relationships, consent, and the risks of sharing intimate images. By the end of the current Parliament in 2029, every secondary school in England will offer credible relationship education, either through an updated Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum, in-house training, or partnerships with external providers. Three pilot programs will launch next year: a £3 million teacher training fund, a £5 million initiative for external healthy relationship workshops, and a £3 million effort to address harmful sexual behaviors among young people, including in-school interventions and support for...