Six key aims to tackle Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence in Wales.

Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt said:

“Today, we are committing to making Wales the safest place for women to live fear free. We want to end violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence in Wales.

In committing to this, we must be ambitious, violence against women is not inevitable. That’s why we have set six ambitious targets to work across all areas of our society to end VAWDASV.”

The new VAWDASV strategy outlines six key aims that the Welsh Government, alongside it’s partners in the public and third sector will commit to.

1. Challenge attitudes to violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence by raising awareness of its impact and consequences.
2. Increase awareness of the importance of safe, equal and healthy relationships.
3. Hold those who commit abuse to account and help people who carry out abusive or violent behaviour to change.
4. Prioritise early intervention and prevention
5. Provide training to professionals so they are equipped to give effective, timely and appropriate support to victims and survivors.
6. Provide all victims with equal access to properly-resourced, high-quality support services, wherever they live in Wales.

 In order to achieve these key aims, the Minister outlined the immediate action the Government will take, the Minister said:         

“For us to achieve our 6 key aims set out in the strategy, we need an all-Wales approach, from Government, the public sector, the third sector and the private sector.

Our plan brings together all parts of Welsh society – working together to challenge and change the norms, behaviours and cultures. This is what lies at the root of achieving our ambitions.

Today, I’m outlining the immediate action we will take to deliver on our vision:

We recently created a new Ministerial-led National Partnership Board, which met for the first time yesterday. This board will make sure we deliver on our promises and have oversight of delivery.

We will launch a campaign to tackle street harassment and develop a common approach for police and other agencies to ensure current legislation is used effectively to crack down on street harassment.

Finally, we will develop training to promote healthy relationships right across our society."

Finally the Minister stated:

“Only a united front, from all sections of society can help us achieve these ambitions, and I’m appealing to everyone today, to commit to ending the abuse, ending the fear and helping us towards achieving a Wales where everyone can truly live fear free.

For some people, this will be uncomfortable, because it challenges what has been seen as ‘normal’ for so long.

Ending violence against women will not be easy.

But, if we take a Team Wales approach we can – and will – succeed.”