Government pledges £15 million to tackle VAWG

The government has pledged £15 million of funding to help tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).

Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, announced the extra funds on the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls (November 24) The funding will go towards measures such as:

• £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 government is also investing up to £7.5 million of funding for domestic abuse interventions in healthcare settings. The funding will aim to help healthcare professionals respond and identify victims of domestic abuse, and improve pathways for victims to access support services. Braverman said:

“It is paramount that victims of insidious crimes like domestic abuse and sexual assault receive the support they need to rebuild their lives, and we know that those with other vulnerabilities need dedicated support.

This funding comes in addition to an incredibly wide range of work across the board to ensure victims are supported and criminals are brought to justice.”

Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs said:

“We know these services have been woefully underfunded, so I am delighted to see this additional money being made available for ‘by-and-for’ organisations. Domestic abuse survivors tell us that getting support from their own community is the most effective way to help them recover and rebuild their lives.”

The Home Office is also granting an additional £70,000 of funding for rapid forensic testing of samples from reported incidents of drink and needle spiking. This is to counteract the epidemic of spiking incidents and to better understand the nature and scale of spiking,