£15 Million Funding Boost for Women Who Are Victims of Violence

Friday the 25^th of November marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women day, on this day the Home Office also announced a £15 million funding boost for women who are victims of violence.

Measures announced include:

• £8.4 million to support victims of violence against women and girls
• targeted funding for the most vulnerable communities
• up to £7.5 million for domestic abuse interventions in healthcare settings
• funding for rapid spiking tests to build police intelligence

The Home Secretary marked the 24 November with a visit to Refuge, to see first-hand the support needed for domestic abuse and sexual assault victims to rebuild their lives.

New Fraud Victim Checklist

On Monday 21 November 2022 the Security Minister chaired a session of the Joint Fraud Taskforce and welcomed a new victim checklist created by the banking industry. The checklist builds on the work the organisations had previously undertaken and ensures that consistent guidance and support is provided to victims, whoever they bank with, when they report a fraud.

New Protections for Children and Free Speech Added to Internet Laws

On Monday 28 November the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced that the Online Safety Bill will include stronger protections for children, with platforms forced to be clearer with parents about dangers. Legal but harmful provisions will be replaced with new duties to boost free speech and increase accountability of tech firms. Tougher measures will be added to protect women and girls from controlling or coercive behaviour.

New Laws to Better Protect Victims from Abuse of Intimate Images

On Friday the 25 November the Ministry of Justice announced victims will be better protected from abusers who share intimate images without their consent, under a raft of changes to the law. Under a planned amendment to the Online Safety Bill, people who share so-called ‘deepfakes’ – explicit images or videos which have been manipulated to look like someone without their consent – will be among those to be specifically criminalised for the first time and face potential time behind bar.

• new offences to be created in crackdown on abusers who share intimate images without consent
• changes will strengthen law and deliver on Prime Minister’s pledge to outlaw ‘downblousing’
• comprehensive package of measures to modernise legislation following Law Commission review

Home Secretary Meets with Senior Policing Leaders at the National Policing Board

This Wednesday (30 November) the Home Secretary met with senior policing leaders at the national policing board.

They discussed:

• commitment to attend every domestic burglary
• improving police handling of rape cases
• police resource spent responding to mental health crisis

Home Secretary Attends the Meeting of the G7 Interior & Security Ministers

The Interior and Security Ministers of the G7, together with the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, met from 16 to 18 November 2022 at Kloster Eberbach in Wiesbaden, chaired by Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior and Community of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Home Secretary was there to engage on vital talks to tackle:

• Illegal migration
• People smuggling gangs
• Russian interference
• Serious and organised crime
• Child sexual exploitation and abuse

Guidance on COVID-19 Autumn booster and the flu vaccine

DHSC are delivering a nation-wide campaign to encourage eligible people to receive their COVID-19 autumn booster and flu vaccine. The resources are available in several languages, and available online and to download. We would be grateful if you could share the links below with your networks. All materials, including translated versions, are available to order here or by calling 0300 123 1002. For paper copies of translations and alternative formats please order quantities required and these will be dispatched as soon as they are available. British Sign Language (BSL) videos on COVID-19 vaccinations are also available to view or download.

• Guidance on the COVID-19 Autumn booster
• Guidance for pregnant or breastfeeding women
• Guidance on the Winter flu vaccination

Government Campaign Materials

The government is running a number of campaigns for vulnerable audiences. We would be grateful if you could share campaign materials and messaging on your channels, and with your networks. 

• ‘Enough.’ Aims to challenge perpetrators and raise awareness of what we can all do to safely call out abuse. You can find more information and materials which you can share on your channels on the campaign website.
• Stop Abuse Together aims to empower parents and carers to take steps to help keep the children in their life safe. Please find attached a digital toolkit for the campaign. All children have a right to be safe from sexual abuse, and we all have a role to play in keeping them safe. Let’s #StopAbuseTogether
• Parentwise is designed to build parents and carers’ understanding of the range of harms their child could be exposed to. It includes information to help them spot the signs that something could be wrong and empower them to act if they are worried. 
• #YouAreNotAlone aims to raise awareness and signpost to information and support available for victims, family/friends and perpetrators of domestic abuse. On GOV.UK there is full guidance and easy read guidance on getting help for Domestic Abuse.
• The Ask for ANI scheme is operating in independent, Boots and Superdrug pharmacies. Posters and social media assets are available to download. For more information, materials or to provide feedback, please email [email protected]
  • Here is the latest video we’ve created in collaboration with Boots pharmacy.
• The #ItStill Matters Campaign is assuring survivors of sexual violence and abuse that it is never too late to get support. Information is given on National Helplines, as well as how to access support locally. Please find the toolkit attached.
• The Join The Police campaign has a wealth of support available for those considering a career in policing. On the campaign website, there’s a number of different entry routes to becoming a police officer and a host of inspiring police case study stories.  For more information, materials or to provide feedback please contact [email protected]
  • Here is a video we created with the British Association of Women in Policing (BAWP)
  • Here is a video we created the National Black Police Association (NBPA)

Stakeholder News and Campaigns

UN International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls

Friday the 25^th of November was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women will mark the launch of the UNiTE campaign (Nov 25- Dec 10) — an initiative of 16 days of activism concluding on the day that commemorates the International Human Rights Day (10 December).

This campaign, led by the UN Secretary-General and UN Women since 2008, aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls around the world, calling for global action to increase awareness, promote advocacy and create opportunities for discussion on challenges and solutions.

This years’ campaign UNITE! Activism to End Violence against Women & Girls will aim to mobilize all society to become activists for the prevention of violence against women, to stand in solidarity with women’s rights activists and to support feminist movements around the world to resist the rollback on women’s rights and calling for a world free from VAWG.

Women’s Aid Releases Football Ad Campaign Highlighting How Football Can Heighten Domestic Abuse

Women’s Aid released an ad campaign on the day of the World Cup England vs Wales match (Tuesday 29 November) highlighting how Football can heighten domestic abuse using the hashtag #HesComingHome.