Today in Parliament, City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy challenged the government over its “long overdue” strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), demanding an explicit, public timetable for action and grassroots consultation.
Petition
Speaking during Oral Questions, Foy highlighted the petition signed by huge numbers of constituents at a public event in Durham. She also warned that while the government’s rhetoric on the VAWG strategy is strongly welcomed on the ground, the lack of a published roadmap is leaving vulnerable women and girls in limbo.
Question
Addressing the Minister in the House of Commons, Mary Kelly Foy MP said:
“Local Labour members and I spoke to many people about the government’s VAWG strategy. The message we received was clear: that it is strongly welcomed but it is long overdue. The clock is ticking and there is still no published timetable. So can the Minister tell me when the government will action the plan, and the necessary grassroots consultation?”
The intervention comes amid a sharpening crisis both nationally and across the North East. Official figures highlight a widening “justice gap” that leaves victims exposed, with the North East suffers from the highest prevalence of domestic violence-related crimes in England, with local cases experiencing a staggering 150% surge since 2017. Nationally, an estimated 3.8 million people were victims of domestic abuse in the last year alone, with women disproportionately targeted.
In response to the question, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:
“Let me say first and foremost…this government’s commitment is evidenced by the landmark commitment that we have made to halve the levels of violence against women and girls over a decade. It is a deliberate ten year vision in order to do that because it is wider societal change that we are seeking to enact. We are delivering that transformational change to keep more victims safe.”
Following the exchange, Mary Kelly Foy MP added:
*”An average of 3,000 VAWG offences are recorded every single day in this country. In the North East, our communities are bearing the heaviest brunt of this epidemic. A strategy without a concrete timetable is just a piece of paper. *
“If we want women and girls in Durham to trust that the justice system has their back, we need a clear roadmap to implementation, that treats this emergency with the importance it deserves. I will continue to hold the front bench to account until we see real, measurable action on tackling violence against women and girls.”
