The government is set to publish its flagship strategy to reduce violence against women and girls by half within the next ten years. The long-awaited plan, which was initially expected in the spring, involves a multimillion-pound investment focusing heavily on preventing toxic attitudes from taking root in young people.
Schools on the Frontline of the Battle
Central to the new approach is a major intervention within England's education system. Teachers will receive extra training to identify and challenge misogynistic behaviour, with the ability to refer children as young as 11 to behavioural courses if they are at risk of causing harm.
These courses will address critical issues including the dangerous influence of "manosphere" influencers like Andrew Tate, porn literacy, and the distinction between pornography and real relationships. Officials confirmed the curriculum will also cover deepfakes, image-based abuse, online harassment, coercion, and stalking.
Announcing the strategy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated: "Every parent should be able to trust that their daughter is safe at school, online and in her relationships. But too often toxic ideas are taking hold early and going unchallenged."
This effort will complement the updated statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, mandatory from September 2026, which now includes lessons on AI literacy and online harms.
A Three-Pillar Strategy with Funding Concerns
The government's strategy is built on three core pillars:
- Preventing young men from being radicalised by online misogyny.
- Stopping abusers through dedicated rape teams and enforceable domestic abuse protection orders.
- A £550m funding package to support victims.
However, the plan has already faced criticism for potentially lacking sufficient long-term resources. Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, warned that new training for teachers and GPs would drive up referrals without guaranteed funding for the specialist services needed to help victims.
"The level of investment to achieve this falls seriously short," Jacobs said, highlighting that overburdened schools are not being equipped with the necessary infrastructure to safeguard child victims of domestic abuse.
"The Battle Begins With How We Raise Our Boys"
Writing in the Guardian, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy emphasised the personal and societal imperative of the strategy. "[A]s a dad to a daughter, it terrifies me. But as a dad to two sons, it drives home that we can’t keep doing things the same way," he said.
Lammy argued that tackling toxic masculinity and ensuring the safety of women and girls are inextricably linked, stating the battle "begins with how we raise our boys." He pointed to the modern digital landscape, where porn is easily accessible and misogyny spreads rapidly, as a key challenge for parents and educators.
In response, the government will convene a national summit on the challenges facing men and boys next year, following the recent announcement of a men’s health strategy.
While safeguarding minister Jess Phillips acknowledged that "a strategy is just words," she stressed the focus was now on action. Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women coalition, called the strategy's ambitions laudable but cautioned it risks raising expectations without the current capacity in the justice system or voluntary sector to meet them.
