Home Office minister Jess Phillips has declared that ‘change is coming’ as the government unveils its long-awaited, comprehensive strategy to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). Announced on December 18, 2025, the plan is framed as a direct response to a ‘national emergency’ and is backed by a substantial £1 billion in funding.
A Three-Pronged National Strategy
Outlining the approach to MPs, Jess Phillips stated the strategy ‘does something that none before it ever has’ by mobilising the full power of the state, moving beyond a reliance solely on police and courts. The plan has three core objectives: to prevent boys and men from becoming abusers, to bear down on existing perpetrators, and to support victims in achieving justice.
Ms Phillips emphasised the scale of the challenge, citing stark Office for National Statistics figures. One in eight women in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking in the year to March 2025. Police record an average of around 200 rapes each day, with over 150 women killed annually. ‘Behind every one of these figures is a woman or girl whose life has been shattered,’ she told the Commons.
Prevention, Protection and Pursuing Perpetrators
The strategy includes significant preventative measures. £20 million will be allocated to schools in England to tackle radicalisation and confront harmful behaviours early. Secondary school pupils will be taught about healthy relationships, with teachers trained to spot misogynistic attitudes in young men. Parents and frontline professionals will also receive support to identify warning signs.
Online, the government will crack down on deepfake abuse with new laws banning AI ‘nudification’ tools used to create fake explicit images without consent. ‘We will ensure those who create or supply them face real consequences,’ Ms Phillips asserted, pledging to work with tech companies to stop online predators.
To improve justice outcomes, every police force will introduce specialist rape and sex offences investigators. The DNA database will be expanded to include Y-STR male profiles, aiding in solving cold cases. Furthermore, Domestic Abuse Protection Orders will be rolled out across England and Wales, allowing courts to set long-term conditions for perpetrators, who could face tagging, behaviour change programmes, or up to five years in prison for breaches.
Funding and a ‘Call to Action’
The pledged £1 billion will be split between vital victim services and providing safe housing for survivors escaping abuse. Ms Phillips framed the strategy as a societal mission: ‘Ending violence against women and girls is the work of us all... It will take all of society to step up.’
Concluding her statement, she expressed unprecedented confidence: ‘The challenge is great, but I have never felt more confident that we can rise to it than I do today, because change is coming. We can make women and girls safe at last.’
