More than eight in ten people (84%) agree that there should be a cross-government strategy to end violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, according to new YouGov polling for the End Violence Against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights campaign (EVAW) which is today publishing a template of what this strategy should look like.

These findings come just weeks after MPs on the Home Affairs Committee called for such a strategy and will increase pressure on the government to act. A strategy is already supported by the main opposition parties as well as the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The Scottish government has been developing this approach for some time.

Professor Liz Kelly, Chair of EVAW, said:
“Violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights costs £40 billion a year in England and Wales alone. Continuing with the current fractured approach is simply too costly, both for victims and for society. There is now a deafening chorus of voices calling for a national strategy to end violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and we are setting out what government at all levels should be doing.”

Jill Saward, who is challenging David Davies in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election. said:.
“I am standing against David Davies to make sure public safety is at the forefront of debates on civil liberties. Three million Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights across the UK experience sexual or another form of violence each year – we need a more strategic approach to tackle this problem.”

The EVAW campaign has identified significant problems with the current disconnected approach to violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights across the UK, as highlighted by IL’s case below, including:
-Separate policies or action plans on specific forms of violence in England, Wales and N Ireland
-Resources focused on the criminal justice system even though most victims don’t report what happens to them. Yet conviction rates are still very low meaning that perpetrators escape justice.
-A funding crisis has led to the closure of support services for Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights. One in three local authorities in the UK do not have specialised services, such as Rape Crisis Centres and refuges.
-Little work to prevent violence, meaning that the level and impact of violence will continue unaddressed in the long-term.

EVAW’s template strategy, Realising Rights, Fulfilling Obligations, sets out what the government should be doing, including:
-Schools should address consent to sex, healthy relationships and sexist bullying as part of the curriculum.
-Long-term public campaigns to challenge ways violence is justified and excused, similar to road safety campaigns.
-A coherent funding strategy to ensure Rape Crisis Centres, refuges, services for ethnic minority Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and other specialised services are equally available across the UK.
-All relevant professionals, including civil servants, should be trained to understand and respond to the reality and impact of violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights.
-Government departments to include violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights in key policies, such as social exclusion, poverty, healthier lives, substance misuse and community cohesion.