Government launches task force to tackle misogyny and halve violence against women

Government launches national task force on misogyny

The government has launched a national task force to tackle misogyny in workplaces, online and in local communities. It is part of Labour's pledge to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. The task force will bring together women's organisations, educators, local leaders and ministers. Its aim is to identify and root out harmful attitudes, with the government saying the focus is on preventing problems before they escalate. Girlguiding is among the organisations taking part.

At the announcement, the government said it wanted to address attitudes that have become normalised in recent years. It said the task force would bring together national expertise and local leaders to tackle attitudes that many had thought were a thing of the past. It also said it had to tackle attitudes that make life hard for women and prevent the problem before it escalates. The plan is intended to sit alongside wider efforts to cut violence against women and girls.

The scale of the problem was set out in figures. Violence against women and girls makes up nearly 20% of all recorded crime in England and Wales. At least one in 12 women are victims of related offences every year, including domestic abuse, sexual violence and harmful cultural practices. One in three women in the UK has experienced online abuse or harassment, rising to nearly two in three among women aged 18 to 34.

The announcement followed testimony from girls and young women about everyday sexism. One girl said a boy on a football bus told her she should be back at school with the other girls. Another said a boy threw a paper ball at her in science and asked if she was on her period when she refused to pick it up. The report said social media has led some teenage boys to believe they have a right to say such things, while girls who speak up about harassment are told they are overreacting. Girlguiding said it has seen a big rise in sexism and misogyny and wants girls to be empowered to speak up and have safe spaces.

The government's promise to halve violence against women and girls in ten years was also challenged in a televised political debate. A questioner asked what politicians would do differently to make sure the target is met. The discussion noted that two women a week are killed by a man and that police leaders have described violence against women and girls as a national emergency. A Labour MP said the issue had been kicked into the long grass and needed recognition, resources for specialist police officers and more prosecutions. She said too many cases do not end in prosecution, which reinforces a sense that perpetrators face no consequences.

The debate also turned to the early release of around 700 prisoners. The Labour MP was asked about women who fear their abusers will track them down, and said one woman had emigrated to Australia with her family. She said no government wanted to be in that position and apologised, blaming a shortage of prison places. She said the last Labour government built 28,000 additional prison places, while only 100 places were left when Labour came in. She said the government was building the most prisons since the Victorian era, using more community punishment for low level crime and designing releases with tagging, restrictions and exclusion zones so victims can say where they do not feel safe. She accepted the situation was not ideal but said the government was determined to grip it.

Other panel and audience contributions focused on prevention. One speaker said conversations often focus on Andrew Tate and the manosphere, but misogyny predates Andrew Tate by thousands of years. He pointed to austerity's impact on the justice system, saying there are not enough courtrooms or police officers, and that only about three in 100 rapes lead to a charge. He said nothing would change until men see women as equals and called for positive representation, healthy male role models, dignity and equality. Audience members said the focus should be on education and prevention rather than prisons. One said boys need grassroots education that no always means no. Another said there should be more support for parents and young boys, warning about social isolation, the manosphere and smartphones. A further question asked whether prisoners could be re-educated and upskilled, as in Norway, to reduce reoffending. Another said discussions about women's safety should start inside the home as well as outside.