The UK Government will be setting up an advisory panel of adult survivors and victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. This panel, operated by the independent Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, will provide a safe, supportive forum for victims and survivors to share their experiences, insights and recommendations directly with government’.
New panel to give child sexual abuse and exploitation survivors a voice – GOV.UK
It is incredibly important to listen to survivors when shaping policy to ensure that it is fit for purpose with insight and feedback from lived experience. These experiences, when shared in a safe and supportive environment, can mean that opportunities to learn and adapt to emerging issues are taken up at the highest levels of government. When we treat survivors as experts in their own experiences, we see informed and nuanced responses to violence against women and girls.
Sara Kirkpatrick, CEO of Welsh Women’s Aid said:
“This panel, if done correctly, presents an opportunity to listen to survivors and respond to their robust challenges. It is vitally important to take their comments seriously and ensure that any efforts to address and end child sexual abuse and exploitation is informed by lived experience.
Survivors must be able to see the changes their contributions make to policy and practice. Having collaborative and safe conversations about survivor experiences can be pivotal to ensuring government responses are not exclusively informed by policymakers but made more effective and meaningful to real lives.”
We understand how important survivor experience can be when shaping policies. Our own Survivor Network continue to work with us to ensure we remain connected to diverse experiences across Wales. Survivor engagement is a powerful tool and when done correctly, can level up how violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence is tackled. The UK Government now needs to ensure that this Advisory Panel remains at the heart of decision making around child sexual abuse and exploitation.