Responding to the government’s increased investment in The Drive Project perpetrator programme, Ellie Butt, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Refuge, said:
“After years of chronic underfunding, many specialist support services for survivors are operating at breaking point. While increased investment in repeat perpetrator prevention programmes may go some way in reducing the risk some perpetrators pose, services for survivors are in desperate need of funding.
“Implementing perpetrator programmes often leads to increased demand on local services for survivors, so without coordinated and sustained investment across the sector, these new efforts will still fall far short of what is needed to truly prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG).
“Domestic abuse is rarely a one-off incident – it is a sustained pattern of coercion and control, often perpetrated by repeat offenders. While we support efforts to hold perpetrators accountable, these programmes are by no means a silver bullet, particularly if survivors cannot access adequate support throughout the process. Even the more robust programmes, like The Drive Project, represent just one part of a much larger and more complex puzzle.
“We must not forget – VAWG is driven by misogyny. Tackling it requires a whole-of-society approach that addresses systemic inequality and challenges harmful attitudes and behaviours. Without a comprehensive VAWG strategy from the government – one that includes adequate, sustained funding for support services – it simply will not achieve its pledge to halve VAWG within the next decade. This must include ring-fenced funding for by-and-for services, which play a vital role in supporting Black and minoritised women, disabled women, and LGBTQ+ survivors – all of whom can face even greater barriers to accessing support.
“We are eagerly awaiting the government’s upcoming VAWG strategy, and hope it will mark the beginning of a real sea change that enables women and girls to finally live free from abuse.”
