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  • Carla Biteanu

OPINION: Is the government doing enough to tackle violence against women?

Updated: Nov 5, 2021

Don’t walk down dimly lit streets, wear ‘sensible’ shoes, change the route you walk home, stay in groups, don’t wear earphones, take that self-defense class – they're just some of the countless pieces of advice given to girls growing up about how to protect themselves.


Advice that whilst well-intended, has become normalised. But why? We shouldn't expect violence.


In a speech about violence against women, the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, spoke of a ‘culture of silence’ in which women who have been victims of sexual harassment or violence conceal the offences.


The Duchess said: "Often, this sense of shame causes the victim to blame herself, mistakenly take responsibility for the crime, and want to hide away from others – and yet she has done nothing wrong.”


Violence against women shouldn’t be a ‘women’s issue’, where they feel they must take their safety into their own hands. No-one should expect violence of any sort and everyone has the right to feel safe, yet women do not.


Following the murder of Sarah Everard, many women took to social media, voicing their anger and own fears.


Despite doing everything she was ‘supposed’ to do, Sarah never made it home .


This was not an isolated incident. In 2020, 188 women were murdered – most commonly by a partner, ex-partner or family member.


When speaking about Sarah Everard, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, stated there were no words to adequately express the horror of her murder.

He also stated the government would 'do everything possible to prevent these abhorrent crimes and keep communities safe'.


Recently, Home Secretary, Priti Patel, published the government’s new strategy around the safety of women and girls. It says they will 'set out a clear ambition to increase the number of perpetrators brought to justice, and reduce the prevalence of violence against women and girls in the long term'.


The strategy also outlined their plans for victim support, prevention and pursuing perpetrators, which includes the creation of an online tool called ‘Streetsafe’ – this will allow women to anonymously report areas where they feel unsafe to improve community safety.


While the government implementing these strategies is a step in the right direction, campaigners have been vocal about our leaders for years – resulting in protests in areas they do not feel safe.


The recent ‘Girls Night In’ saw nightclubs and bars being boycotted across the country in light of rising spiking cases. There have also been calls for increased lighting in parks and other areas where women feel unsafe walking at night, amongst other protests and calls for women’s safety.


Measures need to be implemented everywhere. Whether it be parks, bars, pubs, trains, cafes or taxis, women’s safety cannot be tackled with one blanket approach.


The issue of violence against women is ingrained deeper than just implementing changes, they need to be actively reinforced. The culture of victim blaming and shame needs to be broken down. Not only should women feel safe in their surroundings, but knowing they can speak about their experiences and be taken seriously.


Breaking down a culture of violence cannot simply come from acts and strategies, but from destigmatisation, education, support and rebuilding a society where women feel respected and protected.


Edited by Pia Cooper

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