Equality and Human Rights Commission threatens legal action as one in four local authorities leave female victims of violence without support
The Commission announced that it will target over 100 local authorities with the threat of legal action over their failure to provide specialised services for women who have experienced violence.
The threat of legal action comes as a new report, published by the Commission and End Violence Against Women (EVAW), reveals a major funding gap for services that help women escape violence and abuse. The study, Map of Gaps 2, shows:
- Over 100 (one in four) local authorities in Britain have no specialised support services at all.
- Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of rape crisis centres surveyed in England and Wales feared closure or cuts in services this financial year because of lack of funding . Almost two-fifths (39 percent) fear closure or service cuts in 2009/2010.
- Provision is the best in Glasgow because women's safety has been prioritised, while the best provision in England is in Bradford.
- The worst provision is in the East of England and South East.
- Ethnic minority women are especially poorly served: just one in ten local authorities have a specialised service that is uniquely suited to deal with women facing particular circumstances, such as forced marriage.
- Local authorities and other public bodies are required by law to promote gender equality, and that duty requires them to take into account men and women's different needs. Because violence against women is such a major cause of women's inequality, public bodies should ensure adequate support for women in such circumstances.
Within a month, the Commission will write to each Local Authority where the evidence suggests they are not providing services, and ask them to explain the situation. The Commission will take further action against those who fail to supply a satisfactory response.
The Commission and End Violence Against Women coalition are also calling on the Government and other relevant public bodies - such as Primary Care Trusts - to develop funding strategies for women's support services.
Each year, three million women in Britain experience rape, domestic violence, stalking or other forms of abuse, and many more are dealing with past experiences.
In addition to the threat of legal action, the Commission and EVAW are also launching an online Map of Gaps: http://www.mapofgaps.org/, to accompany the report.
The interactive map highlights how victims of violence face a regional postcode lottery, which leaves many thousands of women without support. The site will enable the public to find out about provision in their area and lobby their MP and local authorities to press for more investment in these vital services.
The Map of Gaps report also highlights the unique challenges facing the voluntary sector. The report found that 60 percent of all new services opened in 2007 were in the so called 'statutory sector' such as Sexual Assault Referral Centres and Specialist Domestic Violence Courts, which respond to recent incidents reported to the criminal justice system. These services, while welcome, only deal with a tiny fraction of the problem because the majority of women still choose not to report the violence to the police.
In contrast, levels of provision in the voluntary sector, which provides a wider range of services for all women - for example support for those who do not seek help until years after they have experienced violence, have remained static or diminished while many others fear they may have to shut their doors in the coming year due to lack of funding.
The report does highlight examples of councils who are getting it right. Glasgow has the best provision in Britain and Bradford the best in England.
In Scotland, the Government has extended provision through a national Violence Against Women fund for over five years. But this fund is now at risk since some of the work previously ringfenced has been lost because of delegation of responsibility for part of the fund to local authorities, a system which, as this year's report shows, isn't working for victims of violence in the rest of Britain.
Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Commission, said:
'In many parts of the country services for women who have experienced violence are chronically under-funded or simply do not exist. Women shouldn't be subjected to this postcode lottery.
'This is a call to action for everybody who cares about this issue, and a firm reminder for those in local and national government with the power to make a difference. Urgent action is needed to provide funding and support to ensure that all women can get help whenever they need it - wherever they live.
'I hope that the bleak statistics in today's report, contrasted with the inspiring stories from parts of the country that serve as a beacon, will serve as a wake-up call and inspire others to take action. But for those councils who continue to ignore the dire need to shore up services and plug the gaps, we also have a stark reminder: the Commission is ready and willing to use its enforcement powers.'
Professor Liz Kelly, Chair of End Violence Against Women, said:
'For the last thirty years the violence against women specialised services in Britain have been the envy of many other countries in Europe - but they face a funding crisis. These organisations grew out of understanding women's needs and the commitment of women's groups to say no to violence. If they are not supported by governments at all levels we risk not only failing to fill the gaps, but creating support deserts.'
To download a copy of Map of Gaps 2 visit the campaign website: www.mapofgaps.org
