Farah Nazeer, CEO of Women’s Aid, has issued a profound statement following the news of Jess Phillips’ resignation from the Labour frontbench, expressing deep gratitude for Phillips’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding women and children while simultaneously highlighting the persistent, critical issues plaguing the UK’s response to violence against women and girls (VAWG). The departure of such a prominent voice from frontline politics casts a spotlight on the ongoing crisis of VAWG, which Women’s Aid describes as an "epidemic," and the chronic underfunding that continues to cripple vital survivor services across the nation.
A Decade of Dedicated Advocacy: Jess Phillips’ Impact on VAWG
Jess Phillips, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley since 2015, has been one of the most vocal and persistent advocates for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence in Westminster. Her personal experiences, coupled with her professional background working with victims of abuse, informed a relentless parliamentary campaign to elevate VAWG issues on the political agenda. Throughout her tenure, Phillips consistently used her platform to amplify the voices of survivors, challenge systemic failures, and push for legislative reform.
Her contributions include being a leading figure in the passage of the landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This legislation introduced a statutory definition of domestic abuse encompassing economic abuse and coercive control, established the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, and placed new duties on local authorities to provide support to victims. Phillips was instrumental in scrutinizing the bill, advocating for stronger protections, and ensuring that the lived experiences of survivors were central to its development. Beyond legislation, she was renowned for her annual parliamentary tradition of reading out the names of women killed by male violence, a poignant and powerful act designed to humanise the statistics and shock policymakers into action. This ritual served as a stark reminder of the devastating human cost of VAWG and consistently garnered significant media attention, keeping the issue in the public consciousness. Her departure from the shadow cabinet, where she served as Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding, leaves a significant void in the political landscape of VAWG advocacy.
The Enduring Epidemic: Unpacking the Scale of VAWG in the UK
Women’s Aid’s assertion that violence against women and girls remains an "epidemic" is firmly supported by a litany of sobering statistics. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) consistently reports that millions of adults experience domestic abuse each year. In the year ending March 2023, the ONS estimated that 2.1 million adults aged 16 to 74 experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales (1.4 million women and 757,000 men). However, women disproportionately bear the brunt of severe and repeat victimisation, and are overwhelmingly the victims of domestic homicide.
The most chilling statistic reiterated by Women’s Aid is that "at least one woman a week [is] killed by a current or former partner." Data from the Femicide Census, a project monitoring femicides in the UK, frequently confirms this grim reality, showing that on average, a woman is killed by a man every three days. These figures underscore not just the prevalence but the extreme danger faced by women experiencing abuse. Beyond domestic homicide, other forms of VAWG, including sexual violence, stalking, and harassment, also remain pervasive. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) for the year ending March 2023 estimated 897,000 incidents of sexual assault, with women significantly more likely to be victims. The reporting and prosecution rates for these crimes remain alarmingly low, contributing to a sense of impunity for perpetrators and a lack of justice for survivors.
The societal and economic costs of VAWG are astronomical. A 2029 study by KPMG for the government estimated the total cost of domestic abuse in England and Wales to be £66 billion over a single year, encompassing direct costs to victims (physical and emotional harms, lost earnings), costs to the justice system, health services, and lost economic output. This figure alone should underscore the imperative for robust funding and preventative measures.
The Critical Funding Crisis: Survivor Services on the Brink
Despite the undeniable scale of the VAWG epidemic, the support services designed to help survivors are in a perpetual state of crisis. Women’s Aid highlights a devastating reality: "survivor services are so chronically underfunded that they are forced to turn away up to two-thirds of survivors every year – women and children desperately seeking support." This is not an exaggeration but a widely reported consequence of precarious funding models.
Refuges, helplines, independent domestic violence advocates (IDVAs), and specialist sexual violence support services rely heavily on short-term, competitive grants, often from local authorities whose own budgets have been severely cut over the past decade. This creates an environment of instability, preventing long-term planning, staff retention, and the expansion of services to meet growing demand. A 2023 report by Women’s Aid found that 62% of referrals to refuges were declined in one year, with lack of space being the primary reason. For specialist sexual violence services, the picture is equally bleak, with many experiencing significant waiting lists for counseling and advocacy.
The implications of turning away two-thirds of survivors are profound and far-reaching. It means women and children are left in dangerous situations, potentially escalating the risk of severe harm or even death. It means survivors are denied access to the emotional, practical, and legal support they need to escape abuse, heal, and rebuild their lives. This systemic failure not only puts lives at risk but also undermines public trust in the system’s ability to protect its most vulnerable citizens. Organizations like Women’s Aid, Refuge, and Rape Crisis have consistently campaigned for a sustainable, long-term funding model for specialist VAWG services, advocating for statutory funding that is ring-fenced and adequate to meet demand.
Government Commitments vs. Reality: The Call for Urgent Action
The UK government has publicly committed to tackling VAWG, outlining its strategy and setting an ambitious target to halve VAWG. The Home Office’s "Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy" (published in 2021) aims to reduce VAWG offenses, improve victim safety, and increase public confidence. Key pillars include preventing VAWG, supporting victims and survivors, pursuing perpetrators, and strengthening the system. However, the disconnect between stated ambition and tangible progress, particularly in resourcing, is a constant source of frustration for charities.
Farah Nazeer’s statement directly challenges the government to deliver on its commitment, echoing Jess Phillips’ longstanding call for "more urgent action." While the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 was a significant legislative step, its effectiveness is intrinsically linked to the funding available for its implementation, particularly for local authorities’ new duties to provide safe accommodation. Without adequate funding for these services, the legislative framework risks becoming an unfunded mandate.
The call for "urgent action" extends beyond mere funding. It encompasses a holistic approach including:
- Prevention: Comprehensive education on healthy relationships and consent in schools, challenging misogynistic attitudes.
- Early Intervention: Better identification of abuse by frontline professionals (healthcare, social workers, police).
- Justice System Reform: Improving police response, increasing prosecution rates for VAWG crimes, and ensuring victim-centered justice processes.
- Perpetrator Programmes: Investing in effective interventions to address perpetrator behaviour and reduce reoffending.
The political agenda, often dominated by economic crises and geopolitical events, frequently sees VAWG issues "slip down" in priority. Women’s Aid’s urgent plea is a reminder that "there are too many lives at risk for it to slip down the political agenda." This highlights the need for sustained political will and cross-party collaboration to ensure that VAWG remains a top national priority.
Broader Impact and Implications of Phillips’ Departure
Jess Phillips’ resignation from the shadow frontbench, while a personal decision, carries significant implications for the landscape of VAWG advocacy in UK politics. Her distinctive, often impassioned, voice has been critical in holding the government to account and keeping the issue visible. While other dedicated MPs and peers continue to champion these causes, Phillips’ unique combination of personal experience, parliamentary acumen, and media presence made her an exceptionally powerful advocate. Her absence from a dedicated shadow ministerial role may create a vacuum that needs to be filled by an equally committed and vocal successor.
For the Labour Party, Phillips’ departure presents a challenge in maintaining the same level of focus and leadership on VAWG issues. For the broader VAWG sector, it signifies the loss of a key ally within the formal political structures, placing an even greater burden on civil society organisations to continue their vital work of lobbying, campaigning, and direct service provision.
The call for urgent action now gains even more resonance. It is not just a call for more resources, but a demand for a fundamental shift in how society and government perceive and address violence against women and girls. It underscores the need for a national strategy that is not only robust in policy but also adequately funded and consistently prioritised, irrespective of individual political changes. The focus must remain on the millions of survivors who desperately need support and the countless women whose lives are at risk. The legacy of advocates like Jess Phillips will continue to inspire, but the responsibility for systemic change now rests firmly on the shoulders of the government and the wider political establishment to ensure that VAWG truly becomes a relic of the past, rather than a devastating constant.
