Women’s Aid, a leading national charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, has issued a comprehensive response to the King’s Speech, welcoming several legislative proposals while expressing profound disappointment over the omission of a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG). Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, underscored the critical need for sustained government focus on VAWG, warning that the stakes for these issues falling down the political agenda are "simply too high." The charity’s statement highlights a nuanced position, acknowledging positive advancements in areas like court modernisation, social housing, and family law, but critically pointing to gaps and concerns, particularly regarding the Asylum and Immigration Bill and the ongoing funding crisis for specialist support services.
Positive Legislative Steps for Survivors
The King’s Speech, delivered in early November, outlined the government’s legislative agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session, typically marking the formal opening of Parliament. It functions as a roadmap for the government’s priorities and proposed new laws. Among the proposals welcomed by Women’s Aid were the reintroduction of the Courts Modernisation Bill (formerly the Courts and Tribunals Bill) and improvements slated for social housing through the Social Housing Renewal Bill.
Modernising Courts and Protecting Vulnerable Witnesses
The Courts Modernisation Bill is seen as a crucial step towards improving the justice system’s responsiveness and accessibility, particularly for vulnerable individuals, including survivors of domestic abuse. While specific details often emerge as a bill progresses through Parliament, the broad aim of such legislation is typically to streamline court processes, potentially through digital transformation, better use of technology for evidence presentation, and measures to ensure safer participation for witnesses. For survivors, navigating the legal system can be a daunting and re-traumatising experience. Delays, complex procedures, and direct contact with abusers can deter victims from seeking justice. Women’s Aid’s welcome for this bill suggests an expectation that it will contribute to a more efficient, sensitive, and ultimately safer environment for survivors engaging with civil and criminal courts. Modernisation could mean features like remote hearings for vulnerable witnesses, digital submission of evidence, or improved communication channels, all of which could reduce the burden on survivors.
Strengthening Social Housing and Tenancy Protections
Equally significant for survivors is the commitment to improving social housing through the Social Housing Renewal Bill, which includes plans for increased investment and stronger tenancy protections. Domestic abuse is a leading cause of homelessness for women and children in the UK. Data from various sources, including government statistics and charity reports, consistently show that a significant proportion of women experiencing homelessness have fled domestic abuse. According to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, domestic abuse was a factor in over 18% of all homelessness acceptances by local authorities in England in 2022-23. For many survivors, the choice is often between remaining in an abusive household or facing destitution and homelessness.
The proposed legislation aims to provide more options, directly addressing what Women’s Aid describes as "outdated practices [that] have trapped survivors between staying with their abuser or risking homelessness." Stronger tenancy protections could include measures to allow survivors to end joint tenancies without penalty, transfer tenancies more easily, or be prioritised for housing in safe areas. Furthermore, an increase in the availability of social housing stock is vital. Women’s Aid frequently reports that survivors are unable to move on from refuge accommodation due to a severe shortage of appropriate, affordable long-term housing. This bottleneck not only prolongs their recovery but also reduces the capacity of refuges to admit new individuals in crisis. Proposed increases in social housing would offer much-needed stability and security, enabling survivors to rebuild their lives away from abuse.
Critical Omissions and Urgent Calls to Action
Despite these welcome legislative changes, Women’s Aid expressed significant disappointment regarding a crucial omission from the King’s Speech: the explicit mention of the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG). This commitment, a cornerstone of the government’s 2021 VAWG Strategy, aims to achieve a significant reduction in various forms of abuse by 2030.
The Unspoken Commitment: Halving Violence Against Women and Girls
The absence of this explicit goal in the King’s Speech signals a potential de-prioritisation that Women’s Aid views with alarm. The charity emphatically states, "it is vital that this commitment remains a priority for government." The urgency of this call is underscored by grim statistics: "one woman a week is killed by a current or former partner," a figure consistently reported by organisations like Femicide Census. The prevalence of domestic abuse, as estimated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), remains "stubbornly high with no signs of abating," indicating that current interventions are insufficient to shift the needle significantly. For example, the ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated that 2.1 million adults aged 16 to 74 experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023. These figures highlight a persistent crisis that demands unwavering political will and comprehensive action. The fear is that without a clear, public reaffirmation of the "halving VAWG" mission at the highest legislative level, efforts across government departments may lose momentum, resources could be diverted, and public awareness campaigns might falter.
Navigating Complex Legislative Landscapes
The King’s Speech also included proposals that raised concerns for Women’s Aid, particularly the Asylum and Immigration Bill, while broadly welcoming reforms to policing standards.
Concerns Over Asylum and Immigration Bill
Women’s Aid voiced strong apprehension about certain aspects of the Asylum and Immigration Bill, which they believe "has the risk of further marginalising and alienating survivors." This bill, generally framed by the government as a means to control illegal immigration and deter Channel crossings, has been criticised by human rights organisations for its potential impact on vulnerable individuals seeking asylum. For migrant women and girls fleeing persecution, conflict, or trafficking, and who may have experienced VAWG in their home countries or during their journey, the bill’s provisions could create additional barriers to safety and support. Fear of deportation, lack of access to legal aid, language barriers, and a general climate of distrust can prevent migrant survivors from reporting abuse or accessing specialist services.
Women’s Aid’s concern is that the bill could inadvertently "weaponise" VAWG in the anti-immigration debate, framing it in a way that stigmatises victims rather than offering them protection. This could lead to a situation where survivors are denied the support they desperately need, when they need it most, due to their immigration status or the perceived ‘illegality’ of their arrival. The charity urges the government to "do more to challenge harmful narratives" and ensure that all survivors, regardless of their background or immigration status, receive appropriate support.
Reforming Policing and Building Trust
On the issue of policing, Women’s Aid "broadly welcome[d] legislation to reform policing and improve standards." This acknowledgement comes against a backdrop of historical mistrust between survivors of domestic abuse and the police force. With over 50 years of experience working with survivors, Women’s Aid attests that many have "felt historically let down by policing." This sentiment is often echoed in reports from police watchdog bodies like His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), which have repeatedly highlighted inconsistencies in police response to domestic abuse, failures in victim safeguarding, and issues of institutional misogyny.
Improving standards and setting national priorities are therefore deemed "so important." Women’s Aid reiterated its long-standing call to make VAWG a national policing priority, ensuring that it is given the same gravitas and resource allocation as other serious crimes. Crucially, they advocate for mandatory, appropriate training for all those working with survivors. This training, exemplified by that provided by Women’s Aid itself, is essential to "better understand the nuances of abuse and cultural sensitivities," ensuring that police officers and other frontline professionals can respond effectively, empathetically, and without prejudice to diverse groups of survivors.
A Landmark Victory: Family Court Reform
One of the most celebrated announcements for Women’s Aid in the King’s Speech was the inclusion of legislation to repeal the presumption of parental contact. This marks a "major campaign victory" for Women’s Aid, its partners, and its survivor ambassador, Claire Throssell MBE, whose tireless advocacy following the tragic deaths of her children at the hands of their abusive father has been instrumental.
Repealing the Presumption of Parental Contact
For decades, the family courts in England and Wales operated under a legal presumption that contact with both parents was in a child’s best interests, even in cases where one parent had a history of domestic abuse. This "pro-contact culture," as Women’s Aid terms it, often prioritised the "rights" of abusive parents over the safety and well-being of children. This approach led to numerous instances where children were ordered to have contact with fathers who had perpetrated abuse, putting them at significant risk of harm, emotional distress, and further control. Research, including the landmark 2020 Harm Report, commissioned by the Ministry of Justice, exposed the systemic failings of the family courts in handling cases involving domestic abuse, highlighting how children and victim-parents were often disbelieved, and abusers’ narratives were given undue weight.
The repeal of this presumption is a historic change, reflecting years of campaigning for a more child-centric and safety-focused approach. Women’s Aid is "very pleased" to see this legislation carried over to the current parliamentary session. However, the charity is clear that legislative change alone is not sufficient. They are now calling for "specialist domestic and sexual abuse training to be mandated for judges." This is in recognition of the deep-seated "pro-contact culture" that will take time and dedicated education to reverse within the judiciary, ensuring that judges are equipped to recognise and respond appropriately to the dynamics of abuse and prioritise child safety above all else.
The Unaddressed Funding Crisis for Specialist Services
While welcoming legislative shifts, Women’s Aid delivered a stark warning: "legislation does not replace resources which are currently not getting to the services that so many survivors rely on." This critical point highlights the paradox of ambitious legislative agendas without the corresponding financial commitment to frontline services.
Beyond Legislation: The Need for Resources
Specialist services, such as women’s refuges, helplines, and outreach programmes, are the lifeblood of support for survivors of domestic abuse. These services provide everything from emergency accommodation and psychological support to legal advocacy and help with navigating complex bureaucratic systems. However, as Women’s Aid notes, they "have been facing a funding crisis and are on the brink of collapse, despite delivering life-saving support to women and children every day." Over the past decade, many specialist services have faced significant funding cuts, particularly from local authorities, leading to closures, reduced capacity, and a strain on existing staff. Reports from organisations like Women’s Aid and Imkaan consistently show that culturally specific services for Black and minoritised women, and services for LGBTQ+ survivors, are particularly underfunded.
The charity argues that the "survival, knowledge and dedication" of these services are "critical to the government’s mission to halve VAWG." Without adequate funding, even the most progressive legislation will struggle to achieve its intended impact. A survivor may have stronger tenancy protections on paper, but if there’s no social housing available or no specialist support worker to help them navigate the application process, the protection remains theoretical. This disconnect between policy and practice represents a significant vulnerability in the overall strategy to combat domestic abuse.
Broader Implications and The Path Forward
The King’s Speech response from Women’s Aid encapsulates the ongoing, multifaceted challenges in tackling violence against women and girls in the UK. While legislative advances offer glimmers of hope and represent hard-won victories for campaigners, they are only one part of the solution. The persistent high rates of domestic abuse and femicide, coupled with the systemic underfunding of specialist services, paint a picture of a crisis that demands sustained, holistic attention.
The omission of the VAWG halving target from the King’s Speech serves as a potent reminder that political commitment can be fragile. Women’s Aid’s urgent call for this commitment to remain a priority underscores the need for constant advocacy and vigilance. The complexities surrounding the Asylum and Immigration Bill further highlight the imperative for an intersectional approach to survivor support, ensuring that no victim is left behind due to their background or status.
Ultimately, the path forward requires a robust, integrated strategy that marries progressive legislation with substantial, long-term funding for frontline services, mandatory specialist training for professionals across the justice system, and an unwavering political resolve to dismantle the pervasive issue of violence against women and girls. As Women’s Aid concludes, these issues are not merely legislative footnotes; they are matters of life and death for countless women and children across the country.
