Government funding perpetrator work must be matched for victim services

Today (17th July 2025) the Home Office announced £53million funding for work to reduce offending by perpetrators of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

Responding to the announcement, Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Aganst Women Coalition (EVAW), said:

“Tackling violence against women and girls requires a whole-society approach that addresses the issue at all levels, as well as adequate and sustainable funding that enables long-term work. We welcome approaches that are evidence-led and proven to reduce the risk that particular men pose to women and girls, and to society as whole.

As supporters of the vital work to tackle behaviour change in perpetrators of violence against women and girls (VAWG) we welcome resourcing to roll out these programmes. But we are concerned that this level of funding has not been matched for survivor support services that provide life-changing and life-saving support to the women and children most affected by this harm.

As it stands, expert organisations providing domestic abuse, rape crisis and other specialist support are facing a funding crisis, with organisations across the country forced to reduce or close down their services while demand for support is growing. This lack of funding means doors being closed to victims and survivors and long waiting lists for support. This cannot go on.

This is most acutely felt by services led by and for Black and minoritised women, which have been chronically underfunded as well as structurally disadvantaged by government commissioning processes. These services are uniquely placed to support the women they serve and their absence would significantly deepen gaps and inequalities in access to support.

Effective perpetrator programmes must work in tandem with specialist support for survivors. Survivors of abuse must not be left behind. To meet its mission to halve VAWG, the government must now fund vital survivor support services.” 

ENDS