Violence and abuse in any form is unacceptable but certain crimes including domestic abuse, rape and other sexual offences, and honour-based violence, disproportionally affect women and girls. The damage and devastation for the victim-survivor is enormous and wide-ranging, with often severe lifelong consequences. Such crimes impact on the physical safety, health and emotional wellbeing of individuals and impacts on families, carers, children, and the community.
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Board
The Warwickshire VAWG Board oversees and coordinates partnership activity seeking to prevent and reduce VAWG in the county. This Board also subsumes the responsibilities of a Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board as required by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
The VAWG Board reports to Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board and focuses on tackling Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence, Sexual Exploitation and Harmful Practices (including Forced marriage, ‘Honour’ based violence, Female genital mutilation and Faith based abuse). This requires close coordination with other strategic partnership arrangements such as Warwickshire Safeguarding and the SOC-SV Executive.
The Police and Crime Commissioner has an important role in leading, supporting, joining up, and monitoring the work being undertaken to tackle VAWG. Representatives from their Office are members of the VAWG Board and its various subgroups, and have provided close support in the formulation of Warwickshire’s VAWG Strategy and delivery plan.
Interpersonal violence against men and boys
Warwickshire’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy has a clear focus specifically on the experiences of women and girls because of the gendered nature of this type of crime. It is important however, to recognise that men and boys are also affected by these crimes, as well as those who are transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming.
Whilst Warwickshire’s approach and response to male victims of Domestic Abuse, Rape and Serious Sexual Assault, Staking and Harassment, and so-called Honour Based Violence, etc, is not included within this strategy, the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Warwickshire Partnership more widely, is committed to ensuring the services we provide meet the needs of all victims/survivors regardless of their gender identity.
