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A new tool for monitoring violence against women and girls (VAWG) has drawn a mixed reaction from campaigners as the government seeks to halve its levels within the next decade.
The Office for National Statistics’s (ONS) new combined estimate of the prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking in England and Wales will be used as the main measure for assessing Labour’s landmark goal.
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Experts and MPs told Sky News that it was a “welcome sign” ministers are taking the manifesto pledge seriously.
But there is concern it doesn’t capture all crimes that affect women, including femicide and online misogyny, with the End Violence Against Women coalition suggesting the new metric has been created “for the ease of government”.
According to new ONS estimates published on Thursday, about one in eight women aged 16 and over in England and Wales were victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking in the year to March.
It is the first time an estimate has been made of the combined prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking.
The figures use data collected as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales.
Labour MP Jess Asato, who previously worked for domestic abuse charity Safelives, told Sky News this is the “best way” to measure VAWG as not all victims report crime so police figures “don’t give a view of the actual prevalence”.
“This is a really good sign the government is taking this mission very seriously,” she said.
Ms Asato has recently urged the government to ban “nudification apps”, which use artificial intelligence to create fake nude images of people without their consent.
The Lowesoft MP said the tools “disproportionately affects girls” and should be seen for what they are – “a tool for facilitating digital sexual assault”.
It comes amid mounting…
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