28 days to safeguard women in Wales

• New Assembly Government Strategy expected
• Drastic improvements needed say campaigners

Campaigners today (1st Feb) say that women in Wales have one month to press the Assembly Government to deliver an effective, integrated strategy to tackle violence against women and girls.
 
Following a long-running campaign to ensure that the devolved administration prioritises the tackling of violence against women, the new Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, Carl Sargeant, has committed to completing an effective integrated strategy to prevent violence and assist survivors to rebuild their lives by the end of February 2010.

In one month in Wales:

• 1 woman will die at the hands of a family member/partner
• 16 women will be raped – with the case taken to court   Based on CPS VAW Crime Report 2008 – 09, divided by 12. These are not reported crime numbers, but cases that reach court.
• 35 sexual assaults against women will be taken to court Ibid.
• 356 domestic abuse cases will be prosecuted Ibid.
• 150 women will flee to a refuge following abuse, along with 132 children Actual figures from Welsh Women’s Aid for January 2009
• 160 women will be turned away, as refuges in Wales will be full Ibid.
• 180 women suffering from abuse will ring the Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline
• 9 women with no recourse to public funding will be turned away from refuge BAWSO figures: 32 calls for support in January 2010, 9 of whom have no recourse to public funding. All refuge places full.
• 5 women will become victims of trafficking BAWSO: the number of new referrals of trafficked women between 27 December 20009 and 22 January 2010
• 3 women will report forced marriage 32 cased of forced marriage were dealt with by South Wales Police in 2008

The Wales VAW Action Group has been working with the Assembly Government to strengthen its draft strategy to tackle violence against women, but the shape and content of the final strategy remains unclear.

Naomi Brightmore, Chair of the Wales VAW Action Group said:
“The Assembly Government could learn a great deal from Scotland, and the strategy for England published by the Home Secretary in November is excellent. The current draft strategy for Wales, however, is not even specifically designed to tackle violence against women, includes no measurable targets or outcomes and is not a government-wide response.

“In England, teachers in all schools will be better trained in order to help girls facing abuse and gender equality will be part of the curriculum. The public sector will receive guidance about tackling violence against women in the workplace, and local authorities will be given a stronger remit and better tools in order to commission better services for victims. The effort won’t be focused mainly on domestic abuse – but on all forms of violence, including sexual assault, stalking and harassment, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

“Ministers at the Assembly Government have been listening to what we have had to say about services in Wales, and accepted the need for a significant change in the way the issue is tackled in Wales. The National Assembly also voted in October to ensure an effective integrated strategy was implemented.”

“Now is the time for the Assembly Government to deliver on its commitments to safeguard women in Wales and reduce the appalling level of violence they face.”

Visit www.walesvawgroup.com and @walesvawgroup on Twitter to keep up-to-date with the latest campaign news.

Read the full report: "Why an intergrated stratey in Wales" in Welsh (PDF) | English (PDF)