Violence against women and girls

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is unacceptable and preventable. It affects millions of lives.

Latest statistics show that:

• one in five women experience sexual assault, or attempted sexual assault, during their lifetime
• 5% of victims are men
• over 27% of women have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16
• 14% of men have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16
• 20% of women aged 16 to 74 have experienced stalking since the age of 16
• 10% of men aged 16 to 74 have experienced stalking since the age of 16

Women and girls are disproportionately affected by crimes including:

• spiking
• stranger rape and sexual assault
• cat calling and heckling
• upskirting
• revenge porn
• stalking and harassment that is not part of domestic abuse
• adult exploitation

These crimes can affect anyone, regardless of gender. Women and girls are affected disproportionately, so a specific strategy is needed.

Our strategy

We support the government strategy for tackling violence against women and girls (PDF)

Our own strategy in Swindon aligns with the government strategy.

Our strategy aims to:

• increase support for victims and survivors, so they can access appropriate, high-quality support
• strengthen work to bring perpetrators to justice and improve reporting to the police
• reduce the overall level of violence against women and girls

The board

The board supports local and national strategies. It meets every quarter and includes representatives from criminal justice agencies, health services and the council.

Separate boards, chaired by Wiltshire Police, address modern day slavery and sexual exploitation.

A strategic board oversees the strategy, action plan and the strategic management of the Multi Agency Task and Coordination group (MATAC).

What the team does

The team records the experiences of victims and survivors affected by violence against women and girls who have accessed, or tried to access, support from the police, health services or charities.

This feedback helps us make sure services in Swindon are fit for purpose and accessible to the people who need them.

The team also oversees a long-term awareness campaign. It works with local services and education providers to deliver specialist workshops that challenge attitudes and beliefs linked to violence against women and girls.