Violence Against Women

The Violence Against Women Working Group

Background

The WNC Violence Against Women (VAW) Group first met in February 2002.

The aim of the Group is to bring a cohesive voice of the VAW sector to Government. Professor Liz Kelly, Director of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) and WNC Chair, chairs the Group.

Representatives from the Home Office, Department of Health, and the Crown Prosecution Service frequently attend Group meetings, giving it a valuable link to Government decision-makers.

The working group meets quarterly and currently includes sub-groups of experts who focus on specific fields.  These Sub-groups are:

Update

The VAW Working Group and Sub-groups last met on Wednesday April 25^th 2007. The VAW Working Group the Group discussed:

The DVPM Sub-group discussed:

The SVPM Sub-group was attended by John Dunworth Head of the Domestic Violence Virtual Unit at the Home Office. They discussed the:

Sexual Violence and Abuse Action Plan (SVAAP)

In November 2006 the SVPM Sub-group provided the Home Office Violent Crime Team with detailed comments on the draft SVAAP. The Cross Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse was published in April 2007 and had taken on board a substantial number of the comments made by the WNC Sub-group. The plan was signed off by the following Ministers Vernon Coker, Home Office, Parmjit Dhanda, DfES, Caroline Flint, DoH, Harriet Harman, DCA, Dr Kim Howells, FCO, Meg Munn, DCLG, Mike O'Brien, Attorney General's Office and Gerry Sutcliffe, Home Office.

`Making the Grade?' Report 2006

On 23^rd November 2006, the EVAW Coalition published Making the Grade? The second annual independent analysis of Government initiatives on violence against women. The report was the second analysis of Government work on VAW and as such provided an opportunity to examine progress on movement towards an integrated VAW strategy. Nearly all Departments fared better than in the 2005 report, Departments that scored particularly well were the Crown Prosecution Service, the Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Meeting with DCA Ministers Harriet Harman and Vera Baird

On 28th March Margaret Prosser, Liz Kelly, and Janet Veitch met with Harriet Harman and Vera Baird to discuss Making the Grade (MTG) and work that could be taken forward by DCA on VAW.  The Ministers said that they had found MTG 2006 useful.

Gender Equality Duty

The Gender Equality Duty (GED) came into force in April 2007.  The GED requires all public authorities in England, Wales and Scotland to demonstrate that they are promoting equality for women and men and how they are eliminating sexual discrimination and harassment. The WNC have been working with a number of Government Departments in developing their Gender Equality Schemes.

Gender Equality Scheme meetings

In January members from the VAW Working Group met with Officials from the Equality and Diversity Unit (EDU) in DCLG to discuss the Department's GES. The VAW Working Group also provided comments and specific action points to the EDU after the meeting for inclusion in their GES. In March, members of the VAW Working Group were invited to attend the Home Office consultation on their GES. A number of members attended this meeting. In May, the Cabinet Office contacted the WNC to request a meeting to discuss how the CO could work with the WNC in developing their Single Equality Scheme and take on board the recommendations made in MtG 2006. An initial meeting took place on Tuesday May 8^th.

CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women)

The VAW Group are actively contributing to the WNC Shadow Report on CEDAW. They are also contributing to a thematic shadow report on violence against women, drawn up by the End Violence Against Women Campaign.

WNC07/2/05