A woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK. Domestic abuse makes up 18% of all recorded crime in England and Wales. In the year ending March 2022, there were 194,683 sexual offences, of which 70,330 were rape. Those are the sobering statistics that add even more weight to what we already know to be true: that the country is currently facing a violence against women epidemic.

Earlier this year, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced his 10-point plan to reduce misogyny in schools, better support victims of assault and work with the Met police to improve the safety of women in public spaces in the capital. 

But ahead of the General Election, to be held this summer on 4 July, how do each of the four major political parties – Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and The Green Party – plan to tackle it?

While its official manifesto is yet to be published, there is currently no mention of violence against women on the official Conservatives website nor is it listed in its “five priorities” declaration.

However, last year, prime minister Rishi Sunak pledged to make tackling violence against women and girls a national police priority.

While the party has been in government, it has also labelled violence against women and girls as a national threat and committed to a range of actions to protect women and girls from harm in strategies focused on tackling violence against women and girls and domestic abuse. The government has also introduced measures through legislation such as the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. 

While its official manifesto is yet to be published, the “take back our streets” initiative has already been set out as one of Labour’s five missions to change Britain, should the party be elected. “Our sense of security has slowly eroded over the past 14 years, with rising levels of violent crime, a knife crime epidemic devastating young lives and shamefully and persistently high rates of violence against women and girls,” reads a statement published to the official Labour website.

In response, Labour has pledged that it will halve levels of violence against women and girls within a decade because everyone has the right to live free from fear.

Alongside this, it will introduce new specialist domestic abuse workers in 999 control rooms and put specialist rape investigation units in every force across England and Wales, so that early opportunities for prevention and protection are not missed. It will also require police forces to target dangerous repeat offenders with the tactics and tools normally reserved for counter-terror and serious organised crime investigations to get serious perpetrators off the streets. 

While its official manifesto is yet to be published, according to the Liberal Democrat’s official “fair deal” declaration, it believes that “male violence against women and girls is part of a broader misogynistic culture in society and that more focus should be placed on changing men’s behaviour than on women taking action themselves.”

In response, it has pledged that the Liberal Democrats will prevent crime and build communities where people can truly feel safe by restoring proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and focused on preventing and solving crimes – especially rape and other violent crime – and investing in the criminal justice system to tackle the backlog of court cases and ensure swift justice for victims and offenders.

While its official manifesto is yet to be published, according to the Green Party’s official “rights and responsibilities” declaration, it says that addressing the imbalances of power – including economic and social power – that can leave individuals vulnerable to domestic abuse is central to many aspects of Green Party policy.

“The Green Party recognises that domestic abuse takes place in a range of circumstances, in all types of relationships. Nonetheless, it is acknowledged that a large majority of cases involve abuse by men against women, with research indicating that one in four women will experience domestic abuse during their lifetime. On average more than two women a week in Britain are killed by current or former domestic partners,” reads a statement on the official party website.

In response, it pledges that relationship education to inculcate values of respect for others and respect for difference will be provided in schools and other appropriate environments.

The party will also ensure that rape crisis centres and domestic violence centres receive guaranteed funding from core budgets, and that programmes will also be provided that train all frontline staff dealing with the public, including housing officers, street rangers, police, workers in the health services and particularly maternity services, and other relevant individuals to recognise signs of abuse and to be able to provide pathways of escape for victims. They will recognise that for different victims different referral points and aid agencies will be appropriate. “Victims will not be pushed towards police and the criminal justice system against their inclination or will. Peer support networks, with appropriate training and support, will be encouraged,” it adds.

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