"Tackling violence against women and girls is not just a priority for my government. It is central to who I am. Before entering politics, when I led the Crown Prosecution Service as director of public prosecutions, I worked with victims of rape, domestic abuse and sexual violence, and I saw, up close, the lifelong damage these crimes cause. And I learned that when systems fail victims, the harm does not end, it deepens."
"Justice must begin with listening to victims. They are why I refuse to accept that abuse is inevitable. And they're why I made halving violence against women and girls a central commitment of this government. That is an ambitious goal. Having spent the best part of two decades trying to drive up prosecutions, I know the challenges we face. But let me be clear: this is a national emergency. It requires an immediate and uncompromising response."
"Because violence does not exist within a vacuum. Our work cannot begin only when violence occurs it must start much earlier. That means confronting an uncomfortable truth: misogyny is woven into the fabric of our institutions and stitched into every aspect of modern life. And it continues to cause real harm. Despite the brave actions of victims, campaigners and my fellow parliamentarians, too often, misogyny is excused, minimised or ignored. The arguments of women are dismissed as exaggerated or one-offs."
Violence against women and girls causes lifelong damage and deepens when systems fail victims. Justice must begin with listening to victims. Halving violence against women and girls is a government commitment framed as a national emergency that requires immediate, uncompromising action. Effective prevention requires confronting misogyny embedded across institutions, law, sport, culture and politics. Excusing, minimising or dismissing women’s experiences creates permission for abuse, signals negotiable boundaries, and models disrespect for boys. Transforming government culture and challenging structures that marginalise women’s voices is necessary beyond simply increasing female representation in senior roles.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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