Too many of us know someone who has been made to feel unsafe – at home, at a party, or simply walking down the street. For generations, women and girls have been told to change their behaviour, avoid certain places, or carry their keys between their fingers. That can’t be how we go on.
Violence against women and girls isn’t inevitable. It’s a national emergency – and it demands a system-wide response that tackles the problem at its root, the behaviour of perpetrators.
This week, the Home Secretary announced new action to do just that. Backed by £53 million over four years, the Drive Project will be rolled out across England and Wales, working with police forces and local services to challenge and change the behaviour of high-risk domestic abuse offenders. It’s a programme that’s been proven to work in pilots since 2016, reducing physical abuse by over 80%, and cutting sexual abuse, stalking and controlling behaviour too.
The scale of the problem is huge, and the Drive Project is not a silver bullet. But it shows a shift in focus – finally moving away from asking victims to manage their own risk and instead putting the responsibility where it belongs: on those who cause harm. Alongside this, we’re also expanding Project Vigilant, which uses trained officers in nightlife areas to spot and stop predatory behaviour before it escalates.
These steps are part of Labour’s broader Safer Streets Mission – our commitment to the relentless pursuit of those who pose a threat to women and girls, whether behind closed doors or in public spaces. It’s about prevention, early intervention, and enforcement that actually protects people – not just paperwork after the fact.
Already, this Labour government has brought in Raneem’s Law – embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms – and introduced stronger Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, alongside backing new measures on stalking, spiking and image-based abuse. In the months ahead, we’ll go further – setting out an ambitious strategy to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. That’s the scale of our ambition – and the scale of what’s needed.
This is deeply personal for so many – and it should never take a tragedy for action to follow. The truth is, previous governments have often treated these crimes as inevitable. But we refuse to accept a society where women and girls are left to just ‘be careful’. It’s not good enough. Our communities deserve better, and we’redetermined to deliver it.
No one policy will solve this overnight – but the direction of travel is clear. We’re building a country where the system doesn’t ask victims to stay silent, instead taking real steps to keep them safe. And where safety doesn’t come down to luck or location, but is a basic guarantee for everyone.
That’s the future we’re working for – and I’ll keep doing everything I can to make it happen.