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Violence against Women and Children

My Lords, once again we debate violence against women and children, a topic to which your Lordships' House often returns. I welcome the opportunity to do so today, if only to send a message to all the women and children who are suffering from violence in this way. The UN defines violence against women as, "““any act of gender-based violence that is directed against a woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately””." It includes rape and sexual violence, domestic violence, forced marriages, stalking, trafficking and sexual exploitation, forced prostitution, crimes in the name of honour, female genital mutilation and sexual harassment. The figures of violence against women make depressing reading. Three million women across the UK experience violence each year. There are many more women coping with the legacies of abuse experienced in the past as children or adults. Almost half the women in England and Wales experience domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking in their lives. Research for the Government estimates that in England and Wales in one year, domestic violence alone costs £23 billion; £17 billion is the human and emotional cost and £6 billion is the direct cost to the state. Violence that women experience is usually committed by men they know—partners, family members, friends or work colleagues. One imagines our home to be a haven of peace and safety, but for many women and children it can become a prison and a place of fear. Sexual harassment in public is widespread, and contributes to women's fear of crime, and whether or not they feel safe in public spaces at night. Women are twice as likely as men to be worried about violent crime. Violence affects females of all ages. Girls and young women are more likely to experience sexual violence; older women are more likely to be abused by carers than are older men. Women with mental health problems and learning difficulties are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence. Ethnic minority women face additional barriers to accessing support and experience particular forms of violence, such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and crimes in the name of honour. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has an excellent record of taking measures to eliminate violence against women. At present, it is putting forward ideas and suggestions to establish a Council of Europe convention on combating violence against women. In a recommendation towards this end it says: "““Despite the progress made and the international instruments already in existence, the Assembly considers that action to combat violence against women must be intensified. It is convinced that the drafting of a legal instrument which embodies the ““three Ps”” (protection of victims, punishment of perpetrators and prevention) ""and specifically addressing the question of gender-based violence is necessary in order to encourage the member states to attain the minimum standards in this respect and strengthen their legislation. The Assembly feels that the preparation of a framework convention … would make it possible to propose guidelines and provisions defining objectives that the contracting parties would undertake to pursue through national legislation and appropriate governmental action””." The assembly is now inviting the Committee of Ministers to draft a convention on the severest and most widespread forms of violence against women, associating the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the Council of Europe and the NGOs in the drafting process. I believe that it would be an advantage to have such a convention. Does my noble and learned friend agree with this idea? Will the Government, as represented by the Foreign Secretary at the Committee of Ministers, sign up to the convention at the appropriate time? Last week the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the End Violence Against Women campaign published the second Map the Gaps report. This is a detailed report on all aspects of violence against women and what is happening regarding the provision of services from the Government across the UK. What hit the headlines were the remarks of Trevor Phillips, chair of the commission, who said that the commission will target more than 100 local authorities with the threat of legal action as they have failed to provide specialised services for women who have experienced violence. The report says that one in four local authorities in Britain have no specialist support services at all. This must be a concern to a Government who are committed to assisting women who are the victims of violence. How can these local authorities be persuaded to provide support? Does it pose the question: will threats of legal action work? It must be difficult for women in these local authority areas who have no support whatever. I am not sure exactly what the Government can do, but I am sure that my noble and learned friend will do her utmost. I praise the Government for the initiatives they have taken to deal with this huge problem of violence against women. Many organisations have called for an integrated strategy to combat violence against women in all its forms, including the Women’s National Commission, the End Violence Against Women campaign and Welsh Women’s Aid. Welsh Women’s Aid has called on the Welsh Assembly Government to develop and implement an integrated strategy on violence against women based on the gender equality and human rights. A recent YouGov poll showed overwhelming public support in Wales— 84 per cent—for such a policy. The Equality and Human Rights Commission in Wales supports the call for a violence against women strategy and it is taking steps to link up the work on prevention, the criminal justice system and those who provide protection and support for women such as the 24-hour Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline and sexual assault referral centres. As there have been so many calls for a violence against women strategy, I was pleased to learn that my honourable friend Maria Eagle MP has announced that the Home Secretary has confirmed to the Home Affairs Select Committee that the Government have accepted its recommendation to adopt a cross-government violence against women strategy and that a consultation on violence against women and women’s safety will be launched later this year. Can my noble and learned friend give any information on when the consultation will be launched? I have concentrated my remarks in the main on violence against women. I am aware that other noble Lords—or noble Baronesses, I should say, as most of our speakers today are noble Baronesses, although I am pleased that one noble Lord is to speak—will be speaking about children. I will confine my remarks to a campaign that the NSPCC is running calling on the UK Government, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly to see domestic violence from a child’s point of view. In its petition it says that it wants to see: "““Adequate support services for children and families affected so that when they are brave enough to speak out, they know that they will be safe and supported… Training for professionals to identify children living with domestic violence so that whenever adults are working with domestic violence they think about the children affected… Education about domestic violence in schools and other youth settings so all children learn that the violence is not their fault, and how to stay safe””." The Department of Health estimates that every year 750,00 children experience domestic violence but estimating numbers is difficult given that so many women do not report domestic violence, so it is possible that the true figure is higher; it is a big problem. Children need protection. It is well documented how violence in the home can affect children, and for young boys seeing their father hit their mother means that to a child this is the norm; it is acceptable, as most behaviour is learnt at home. Will my noble and learned friend give her response to the NSPCC’s campaign; and what initiatives are the Government undertaking to support children who are victims of violence in the home and outside the home such as bullying in school? One successful government initiative has been the specialist domestic violence courts. They bring together police, prosecutors, court staff, the probation service and specialised support services so that more offenders are brought to justice. The courts were first established in 2005-06 with 25 courts receiving accreditation. There are now more than 100 and they are spread across England and Wales. I believe that there will be more announcements in the future. This is a great initiative and gives women victims much greater faith in the system by bringing the perpetrators to justice. Since 1997 the Government have taken violence against women seriously, and have brought in many measures and new laws to try and tackle this problem, which affects women and children throughout the world. As I read, learn, and speak to women in this country and abroad, sometimes I feel that the problem is so big that whatever measure is taken, the biggest problem of all is what measures can be taken to stop men from being violent towards women? Organisations such as the White Ribbon Campaign run by men whose aim is to stop men being violent towards women is a way forward. This is not just a matter for women; we need many more men involved. On the topic of prevention, one way would be to start at an early age with boys and girls, teaching them respect for women. That should involve education at school, in the community and in the home. It is a long-term aim. Can my noble and learned friend say what programme she is aware of that is thinking of prevention? Are there any government initiatives or programmes of that nature? Despite the diligent work that the Government have undertaken and the work that the NGOs are carrying out in this area, there is still so much more needed. Women cannot achieve equality if they are constantly living in fear of violence. We have made great progress in terms of awareness, in speaking openly about violence and encouraging women to come forward and report any incident, but of course there is so much to do before we can eliminate the scourge of violence that men perpetrate on women.