Blog by Hana Smith, SI Global Policy Advisor.
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a global pandemic. Despite international efforts, progress is slow, and one in three women have experienced violence in their lifetime. Globally, one in 10 women that have experienced some form of violence report it to the police, however 40 per cent of cases do not process to the courts.
The UK declared VAWG a national emergency and has committed to halving it in the next decade, with a focus on prevention and early intervention, pursuit of perpetrators, and investing in support to survivors.
Education has a key role in tackling VAWG. The UK is investing £20 million to train teachers to recognise and challenge harmful attitudes and is working on a multi-year communication strategy to challenge behaviours that underpin VAWG. The government is also conducting research to improve understanding on teenage relationship abuse and the changes that are required to strengthen society’s response to it. To enable real cultural change, the UK government is committed to a whole-of-society approach to tackling this pervasive issue. Additionally, the UK has extended this priority into its foreign policy. The stopncii.org website leverages new technology to prevent, detect and remove non-consensual intimate images from the internet. The UK Foreign Office is supporting other countries to access this technology, because this global emergency requires a global emergency response.
In South Africa, the government is working to promote positive masculinity, rooted in the constitution which stands to uphold human dignity, freedom, and reject all forms of discrimination. This places a clear obligation on the State to enforce it. In 2025, during the South African Presidency of the G20, the country prioritised gender equality, including men and boys. Male allyship is essential for peace and economic resilience. The government is engaging the private sector, who is already investing in this work, however it continues to be under-resourced.
Going forwards, South Africa will establish a Council on gender-based violence to coordinate its efforts implemented in its national strategic plan to tackle VAWG, which the government has labelled a ‘national disaster.’
Gary Barker, President and CEO of the Equimundo Centre for Masculinities and Social Justice posed his research question: how do we drive, make and prevent men’s violence against women?
By specifying ‘male violence’, we call on attention to the prevention that is required. By studying male violence, we are not making excuses, but rather we are working to understand the cause of it. Understanding cycles of harm helps to understand how to prevent it.
Key recommendations highlighted that investment is essential in parent training, which is proven to reduce violence against children. Additionally, parent training encourages men to undertake care work, and statistics have demonstrated that men report being happier with their partners following this training. Currently, Rwanda is on track to make father inclusive parent training available to all fathers. Men must also feel empowered to speak to other men, including by diffusing violence and holding other men accountable.
Finally, social justice must be restorative. Removing violent men is not the solution. Restorative processes used in criminal justice processes are statistically more beneficial, despite the cost inferred.
This work spotlights SI’s pillar on violence against women, with efforts focused on both prevention and intervention to drive systemic change.
