Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, has issued a comprehensive response to the recent King’s Speech, commending several legislative proposals poised to bring positive changes for survivors of domestic abuse and their children, while simultaneously voicing significant concern over the omission of an explicit government commitment to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) and the ongoing funding crisis faced by specialist support services. The statement highlights a complex legislative landscape where progress in specific areas is tempered by critical gaps in overarching strategic priorities and practical resourcing.
The King’s Speech: A Legislative Blueprint
The King’s Speech, delivered at the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament, outlines the government’s legislative agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session. It serves as a crucial indicator of the administration’s priorities and proposed reforms across various sectors. For organisations like Women’s Aid, this annual event is a vital opportunity to assess how the government plans to address issues impacting vulnerable populations, particularly those affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. This year’s speech included several bills that directly or indirectly intersect with the lives of survivors, prompting a nuanced reaction from Women’s Aid, which balances cautious optimism with urgent calls for greater political will and financial investment.
Positive Strides for Survivors: Courts and Housing Reforms
Among the welcome interventions, Women’s Aid specifically highlighted the Courts Modernisation Bill (formerly the Courts and Tribunals Bill) and improvements to social housing provisions within the Social Housing Renewal Bill. The Courts Modernisation Bill aims to streamline judicial processes, enhance efficiency, and potentially introduce more digital solutions within the justice system. While not exclusively focused on VAWG, a more efficient and accessible court system can significantly benefit survivors by reducing delays, lessening the trauma of prolonged legal battles, and ensuring swifter justice in cases related to domestic abuse, child arrangements, and protection orders. The current backlog and often arduous nature of court proceedings can be a major barrier for survivors seeking safety and legal recourse.
The Social Housing Renewal Bill, with its focus on investment in social housing and stronger tenancy protections for domestic abuse survivors, represents a particularly crucial development. For far too long, survivors have been trapped in a precarious dilemma: either remain with an abuser or face the very real risk of homelessness. This legislative push aims to provide more viable options. Statistics consistently show that housing instability is a major factor preventing survivors from leaving abusive relationships or from rebuilding their lives post-separation. A 2022 report by Women’s Aid and the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance found that 75% of women experiencing domestic abuse who seek support need housing assistance, yet only a fraction receive appropriate, safe, and long-term accommodation. The proposed increases in social housing stock, coupled with enhanced tenancy protections, could offer much-needed stability and security, enabling survivors to move on from refuge accommodation and establish independent, safe lives. The current shortage of affordable and safe housing means that many survivors remain in temporary accommodation, including refuges, for extended periods, hindering their recovery and ability to secure employment or education. This reform is seen as a vital step in addressing a systemic barrier to safety and recovery.
A Landmark Victory: Repeal of Parental Contact Presumption
One of the most significant and celebrated inclusions for Women’s Aid and its partners was the legislation to repeal the presumption of parental contact. This marks a major campaign victory, culminating decades of advocacy from organisations like Women’s Aid and dedicated survivor ambassadors such as Claire Throssell MBE. For generations, family courts in the UK often operated under a ‘pro-contact culture,’ where a presumption existed that children should have contact with both parents, even in cases where one parent had a history of domestic abuse. This approach frequently prioritised the "rights" of abusive parents over the fundamental safety and welfare needs of children, often leading to tragic outcomes.
The previous legal framework inadvertently placed children at continued risk of harm, re-traumatisation, and ongoing coercive control from abusive parents. Survivors often reported feeling unheard, disbelieved, and forced into unsafe arrangements, with their concerns about child safety being dismissed. Research by Women’s Aid has consistently highlighted that child contact arrangements often become a primary mechanism for post-separation abuse, enabling perpetrators to continue their control, harassment, and psychological manipulation, directly impacting children’s mental health and safety. The repeal of this presumption signifies a monumental shift in legal philosophy, moving towards a child-centric approach where the paramount concern is the child’s safety and well-being. This legislative change empowers judges to prioritise safeguarding without the automatic default to parental contact, providing a critical layer of protection for children caught in the crossfire of domestic abuse. Following this historic change, Women’s Aid is now advocating for mandated specialist domestic and sexual abuse training for judges and all professionals working within the family court system. This training is deemed essential to effectively reverse decades of pro-contact culture and ensure that the spirit of the new legislation is fully implemented, allowing for a deeper understanding of the dynamics of abuse and its impact on children.
Concerns and Critical Omissions: The VAWG Commitment
Despite these positive developments, a glaring omission from the King’s Speech has raised significant alarm within Women’s Aid: the lack of explicit mention of the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls. This commitment, a cornerstone of the UK government’s 2021 VAWG Strategy, sets an ambitious target to reduce these pervasive forms of violence. Its absence from the parliamentary agenda’s outline sends a concerning signal about the prioritisation of this critical issue.
The statistics on VAWG in the UK remain stark and deeply troubling. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), an estimated 2.4 million adults aged 16 to 74 experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023, with women disproportionately affected. Tragically, as Farah Nazeer noted, one woman a week is killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales. This figure underscores the lethal reality of domestic abuse and the urgent need for sustained, high-level political attention. Beyond fatalities, the prevalence estimates for domestic abuse and other forms of VAWG, including sexual violence, stalking, and harassment, remain stubbornly high, showing no significant signs of abatement. The economic and social costs of VAWG are immense, estimated to be tens of billions of pounds annually, encompassing healthcare, criminal justice, lost productivity, and the profound human toll. The stakes, therefore, for VAWG issues falling down the political agenda are simply too high, impacting public safety, public health, and gender equality across society. Women’s Aid urgently calls for this commitment to be explicitly reinstated as a government priority, backed by concrete actions and resources.
Policing Reforms and the Need for Specialised Training
Women’s Aid also broadly welcomed proposed legislation aimed at reforming policing and improving standards. The organisation’s more than 50 years of experience working with survivors consistently reveals a historical sense of being let down by policing responses to domestic abuse and sexual violence. Issues such as inconsistent responses, lack of understanding of coercive control, and insufficient sensitivity have eroded trust and hindered justice for survivors. Improving standards and setting national priorities are therefore crucial steps towards rebuilding confidence and ensuring effective intervention.
However, Women’s Aid remains steadfast in its call for VAWG to be designated a national policing priority. This designation would ensure consistent focus, resource allocation, and accountability across all police forces. Furthermore, the organisation advocates for mandatory, appropriate training for all police personnel working with survivors. This training, exemplified by programs offered by Women’s Aid, is designed to deepen officers’ understanding of the complex nuances of abuse, including coercive control, trauma-informed approaches, and cultural sensitivities. Such specialised training is vital to ensure that survivors receive compassionate, effective, and culturally competent responses from the very first point of contact through to prosecution and support.
The Asylum and Immigration Bill: A Double-Edged Sword for Vulnerable Survivors
A particular area of concern highlighted by Women’s Aid is certain aspects within the Asylum and Immigration Bill. While the full implications are still being assessed, the organisation warns that some provisions risk further marginalising and alienating survivors, particularly those with precarious immigration status. Women’s Aid emphasises the vulnerability of migrant women, who often face additional barriers to seeking help due to language barriers, fear of deportation, lack of access to public funds, and mistrust of authorities.
The organisation voiced apprehension about the potential for VAWG to become "weaponised" as a tool in the broader anti-immigration debate. Such rhetoric can create an environment where survivors, already in extremely vulnerable positions, are reluctant to come forward for fear of adverse immigration consequences, thereby deepening their isolation and increasing their risk of harm. Women’s Aid urges the government to do more to challenge harmful narratives and ensure that all survivors, regardless of their immigration status, receive the support they need, precisely when they need it most. Access to safety and support should be a universal right, not contingent upon immigration status.
The Unseen Crisis: Funding for Specialist Services
Crucially, Farah Nazeer concluded her statement by underscoring that legislative changes, however welcome, cannot replace the critical need for adequate resources. Specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence services across the UK have been facing a severe funding crisis for years, with many operating on the brink of collapse. These services provide life-saving support, including refuge accommodation, helplines, counselling, advocacy, and therapeutic interventions for women and children every single day.
A 2022 report by Women’s Aid revealed that 87% of domestic abuse services are struggling to meet demand, and 61% have had to turn women away due to lack of capacity. This crisis is exacerbated by years of underfunding, inflationary pressures, and increasing demand for support. The survival, invaluable knowledge, and unwavering dedication of these specialist services are absolutely critical to the government’s stated mission to halve VAWG. Without sustainable, long-term, and equitable funding, even the most progressive legislation risks becoming ineffective, as the infrastructure needed to support survivors and implement the changes will simply not exist. The government must recognise that investing in these services is not merely a charitable act but a fundamental investment in public safety, social cohesion, and the successful delivery of its own VAWG strategy.
Conclusion: A Call for Holistic Action
In summary, Women’s Aid’s response to the King’s Speech paints a picture of mixed progress. While celebrating significant victories in areas like family court reform and welcoming advancements in housing and policing, the organisation issues a stark warning about the potential deprioritisation of the overarching VAWG mission and the dire state of funding for essential support services. The call from Women’s Aid is clear: legislative change is a vital component, but it must be complemented by sustained political commitment, adequate and stable funding for specialist services, and a holistic, rights-based approach that ensures all survivors receive the safety and support they deserve. The lives and futures of millions of women and children across the UK depend on it.
