Motion for Change: Together Against Violence Towards Women and Girls
Ask your council to pass a Motion for Change and come together to tackle the epidemic of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
We welcome Labour’s commitment to halve VAWG in the next decade. However, this bold ambition cannot be realised by national government alone – we need action from local leaders to turn the tide on VAWG in our communities.
An estimated one in four women experience domestic abuse in their lifetime and an average of one woman per week is killed at the hands of their male partner or ex-partner (ONS, 2023).
Annually, domestic abuse costs the public purse an estimated £78 billion per year (Women’s Aid, ResPublica, 2023).
Shockingly, between 2018/19 to 2022/23, police records of VAWG rose by 37% and in 2022 domestic abuse made up 18% of all recorded crime in England and Wales (NPCC, 2024).
This sadly represents the tip of the iceberg in terms of domestic abuse prevalence, as we know abuse is often not reported.
This motion has been developed to empower local authorities address the root causes of VAWG and ensure survivors can access specialist support.
Download our social media resources
Please use #MotionForChange to spread the word.
![Report to Full Council within [12] months on the actions it has undertaken to fulfil the pledges of this motion. Work with survivors and local specialist and ‘by and for’ services to understand the impact of VAWG and develop a strategy to address this. Ensure comprehensive education on healthy relationships is available in all schools. Conduct a review into procurement practices for commissioning VAWG services to ensure they align with statutory guidance and meet the needs of all survivors, including the most marginalised survivors. Appoint a VAWG champion, to hold the council to account on these pledges and amplify the voice of survivors.](https://www.womensaid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Motion-for-Change-Social-Media-Resources-6.jpg)
Can you help us to share the motion?
Councillors: Table a Motion for Change at your council and help your fellow councillors understand the scale of violence against women and girls.
Campaigners and Supporters: Send the motion to your local elected councillors. Ask them to table the motion at council and to ask their political groups to support it. Share the motion with your local political groups, networks and friends. Post about the motion on social media and tag your local council.
Please contact policy@womensaid.org.uk if you have any questions or to let us know you have passed a Motion for Change.
