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| All-Party Parliamentary Group on Violence Against Women and Girls | |
|---|---|
| Name | All-Party Parliamentary Group on Violence Against Women and Girls |
| Formation | 2016 |
| Leader title | Chair |
| Leader name | Karen Bradley |
| Headquarters | Palace of Westminster |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Membership | Cross-party parliamentarians |
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Violence Against Women and Girls is a cross-party forum of United Kingdom parliamentarians that focuses on policy responses to violence against women and girls. The group brings together Members of Parliament and peers from parties including Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, and Scottish National Party to scrutinise legislation, commission research, and promote public awareness. It engages with non-governmental organisations such as Women's Aid Federation of England, Rape Crisis England & Wales, and international bodies including United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
The group was established amid growing parliamentary concern following high-profile cases and campaigns such as the #MeToo movement and the conviction of individuals tied to public scandals. Its creation drew on precedents like the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic Violence and parliamentary inquiries exemplified by the Scotland Yard reviews and the work of the Home Affairs Select Committee (Commons). Founding members included parliamentarians with prior involvement in inquiries similar to the Joint Committee on Human Rights, and early chairs had backgrounds in constituencies affected by campaigns led by organisations such as Refuge and Sisters for Change. The group evolved alongside statutory reforms such as the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and has paralleled comparable international mechanisms including the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
The group's remit encompasses scrutiny of legislation relating to sexual violence, domestic abuse, stalking, and coercive control, drawing on casework from constituencies represented by MPs such as Jess Phillips and peers including Baroness Newlove. It aims to influence statutory frameworks like the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and related guidance used by agencies such as Crown Prosecution Service. The group liaises with institutions including Crown Prosecution Service, NHS England, and policing bodies exemplified by Metropolitan Police Service to address systemic responses. It also seeks to integrate evidence from charities like Stonewall (charity) and research bodies such as the Home Office Research Unit.
Membership comprises MPs and members of the House of Lords from parties including Democratic Unionist Party, Plaid Cymru, and independents formerly associated with Change UK. Officers have included chairs drawn from MPs with ministerial experience in departments like the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office. The group operates through steering committees and subcommittees, convening meetings in venues such as the Palace of Westminster and coordinating with parliamentary services like the House of Commons Library. Secretariat support has been provided at times by third-sector organisations analogous to International Rescue Committee or by parliamentary staff.
The group organises evidence sessions featuring witnesses from organisations such as Rape Crisis England & Wales, Women's Aid Federation of England, and academics from institutions like London School of Economics and University of Oxford. It has launched campaigns addressing issues raised by advocacy coalitions similar to End Violence Against Women Coalition, producing briefings that intersect with statutory efforts such as the implementation of the Istanbul Convention and reforms advocated by bodies like Equality and Human Rights Commission. The group has hosted inquiries into subjects paralleling the work of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and campaigned for measures championed in civil society by groups including Amnesty International.
The group publishes reports drawing on evidence from prosecutors, police chiefs such as those convened through the National Police Chiefs' Council, health professionals represented by Royal College of Psychiatrists, and survivors supported by charities like Women’s Aid Federation of England. Its reports have been cited in parliamentary debates in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and have informed statutory guidance issued by bodies such as Crown Prosecution Service and policy documents from departments including the Home Office. The group's findings have intersected with legal reforms like amendments to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and influenced public inquiries with parallels to the Hillsborough Independent Panel in approach to evidence-gathering.
Critics have raised concerns about the group's impartiality when receiving support from advocacy organisations comparable to Women’s Aid Federation of England or external funders linked to private foundations such as Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, arguing potential conflicts akin to debates around other All-Party Parliamentary Groups like the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims. Questions have been posed about transparency in meetings with stakeholders analogous to controversies involving the Palace of Westminster hospitality rules. Some commentators from publications such as The Guardian and The Times have critiqued the group's prioritisation of particular policy prescriptions over competing evidence promoted by criminal justice researchers at institutions like University College London.
Administrative support has been provided through a mix of parliamentary services and third-party secretariats similar to arrangements used by other All-Party Parliamentary Groups, with declared contributions from charities and legal firms in the sector comparable to those supporting organisations like Victim Support. Funding disclosures have been published in line with parliamentary transparency frameworks administered by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. The group's budgetary arrangements and gifts-in-kind mirror governance arrangements overseen by the House of Commons Commission and reporting protocols used across APPGs.
Category:All-Party Parliamentary Groups