The UK Government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls. However, without sustainable financial support, Welsh Women’s Aid are concerned that real progress will be limited. We are hugely disappointed by the lack of focus on violence against women and girls. Whilst Ministers talk about ending the epidemic of violence and abuse being a priority, we have failed to see any specific financial commitments to support this within the budget.
As the UK Chancellor, Rachel Reeves delivered the budget, many violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV) services continue to struggle with short-term and limited funding. Many funding streams are not resilient to inflation, and this has led to specialist services having to do more with less. Unless a change is made, we risk these services not being able to support survivors in the future.
Last year, the UK Government cut funding to victims’ services by 4%. The rising costs being experienced by both service providers and survivors are making it increasingly difficult to access the vital support that is needed. Year on year, our State of the Sector report continuously highlights the crucial need for further financial support. The recent increase in National Insurance has added further pressure to already constrained services budgets. Without political will backed with financial commitment, support will remain short term and limited.
Whilst progress has been made in relation to the planned legislative changes announced earlier in the year, focusing only on reforms within the Criminal Justice System means responding after violence has taken place. To truly halve violence against women and girls, the UK Government must invest in prevention, early intervention, and specialist community support. We need a comprehensive approach that incorporates both justice system and preventative measures that look at stopping VAWDASV before it occurs. Ending VAWDASV requires coordinated action across education, housing, welfare, health, community programmes, and sustained investment in specialist VAWDASV services.
Welsh Women’s Aid are pleased to see that April will bring the end of the two-child benefit limit. Not only will this mean that more children are supported, but it will also mean that survivors of rape will no longer be forced to prove that their children were born as a result of rape. Not only will this bring an end to those practises, but it will also support other survivors with more than two children, ensuring that we begin to address the economic barriers that face survivors.
If we are to succeed in this commendable pledge, clear financial commitments must run alongside legislative change. We urge the UK Government to support the sector with ringfenced sustainable funding commitments which adequately reflect inflationary impacts, investment which ensures that specialist services can carry on offering lifesaving, needs-led, trauma-informed support to all survivors of VAWDASV.
Only with long-term investment can this ambition translate into meaningful and lasting change.