Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy

Baroness Hazarika Excerpts

Wednesday 21st January 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Hazarika]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to implement the violence against women and girls strategy, published on 18 December 2025.

[The Advocate-General for Scotland (Baroness Smith of Cluny) (Lab)]

We will deliver the strategy through a truly cross-government approach, recognising that halving VAWG within a decade requires action from every part of society. Implementation will be overseen by cross-government governance, including the VAWG ministerial group, meeting next on 27 January, and an external VAWG stakeholder advisory board. Progress is already under way, with media initiatives launched and further commitments rolling out throughout 2026 under a 10-year adaptive plan supported by regular updates.

[Baroness Hazarika (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for that Answer, and I genuinely welcome the strategy, particularly because, for the first time ever, it focuses on engaging boys and young men. They must be part of the solution, and they too can be victims of the very aggressive, violent, hypersexualised online world. The TV presenter, Ore Oduba, recently spoke out with great courage about his own addiction to pornography and the damage it has caused. He will not be alone. Can the Minister tell us how this important training in schools will be designed and resourced to make sure that teachers feel confident and teenage boys do not feel alienated.

[Baroness Smith of Cluny (Lab)]

The noble Baroness raises a very important issue and I am grateful for the opportunity to address it. We know that men and boys experience these types of behaviours. We also know that their experiences are unique. Indeed, one in five men experience domestic abuse. That is why we have produced the Men and Boys Explanatory Note, which details how the strategy reflects their unique needs. The strategy also recognises that these behaviours are disproportionately experienced by women and perpetrated by men. As the noble Baroness alluded to, the key to addressing both of these equally important matters is through education. That is why we have announced a £20 million funding package, to ensure that every secondary school has a credible package to offer.