Tackling violence against women and girls
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) are acts of abuse or violence which disproportionately affect women and girls. Offences include rape, sexual assault, stalking, domestic abuse, forced marriage, and ‘honour’ killings and mutilations. There are many other offences including crimes committed online.
Since being elected in 2021, the Commissioner has continued to invest in services that support victims and work with perpetrators to change behaviour.
As part of the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan 2024-2028, she will:
- Continue to work in partnership to help protect women and girls from all forms of abuse
- Commission services to tackle VAWG and support victims including domestic abuse, sexual crimes and stalking
- Hold the Chief Constable to account for collaborating with partners to reduce offending
- Hold the Chief Constable to account for having appropriately trained officers and staff to provide an efficient response to VAWG crimes
Our work
Listening to women and girls
To inform the response to VAWG, the Commissioner launched a call for evidence survey in April 2022 aimed at women and girls which received more than 1600 responses.
Of those who filled out the survey, a number came forward to talk about their experiences.
In this short film, the experiences of women can be heard, bringing to life the reality of VAWG felt in our communities.
The call for evidence survey also asked practitioners to give their views and the next stage of those focus groups are now underway, followed by the views of survivors.
The Commissioner said: “These experiences are powerful. When we hear the statistics on VAWG, we’re not getting the full picture, we’re not understanding the real impact this has on women.
“The hope is by listening and bringing these authentic stories to life, they will help shape future services, projects and campaigns to make a real impact in terms of women’s safety at home, at work and at school.”
Perpetrator focused
The Commissioner has been resolute in her dedication to funding programmes which work to break the cycle of offending, specifically through domestic abuse prevention projects.
The PCC has led on the commissioning of a new innovative service across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in collaboration with Hampshire County Council, Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council, to provide support and interventions for people who cause harm in their relationships. This service is being delivered by The Hampton Trust from April 2026 onwards. For more information or to make a referral.
Working with sports clubs
PCC Donna Jones teamed up with Hampshire Cricket’s Hampshire Hawks and Southern Vipers to urge men and boys to call out harassing, sexist and violent behaviour towards women and girls, for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25th November 2022 (White Ribbon Day).
The players came together to take a stand with the Police and Crime Commissioner and make the pledge to never use, excuse or stay silent about violence and abuse towards women and girls.
The Commissioner hopes the local stars will encourage men and boys to think about their behaviour, take responsibility for their actions and call it out amongst peers when they see it.
Funding
Commissioner Donna Jones is funding more than £4.7million on support services for victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse this financial year (2026/27); crimes which women and girls disproportionality suffer at the hands of men.
£2.8million has been invested in Domestic Abuse support services and £1.9million in supporting victims of sexual violence.
In addition, the Commissioner’s office was awarded more than £1.1million towards prevention and perpetrator services including the Perpetrator Service Contract across Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton in partnership with Hampshire County Council, Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council.
The OPCC was also successful in a Home Office funding bid for added value for this contract, such as the Drive programme.
ENOUGH
The government’s ENOUGH campaign focuses on changing behaviour in our communities to end violence against women and girls.
It says, every day women and girls across the UK experience abuse, but abusive behaviours can be hard to spot. They are often pretending to be something else. Control is camouflaging as care. Manipulation is mistaken for love. Sinister behaviours can slip by unnoticed.
It’s time to see these behaviours for what they are. Abuse.
WHAT IS ABUSE https://enough.campaign.gov.uk/what-is-abuse
IS IT CROSSING THE LINE? https://enough.campaign.gov.uk/is-it-crossing-the-line
Get support
Telling someone about your experience can help you to deal with the abuse and get extra support if you need it. That may include emotional support, practical support, health advice and legal support. You don’t have to go through this on your own.
There’s no pressure on you to do this, and no right or wrong person to tell. You might start with friends or family or someone in your community that you trust.
When you’re ready, and only if you want to, you might choose to talk to a specialist support organisation. You don’t need to report anything, or involve the police, to get help. Whatever type of support you choose, you will be listened to and believed.
Victim Care Hub – provides emotional and practical support to victims of crime and those impacted by crime. They include sexual violent and domestic abuse (standard risk).
The PCC also funds support for victims of sexual crime with the specialist commissioned support services e.g. IDVA, TESSA (Including Frankie), SARC
Go to the Commissioner’s Victims and Witness support page for local services ready to support you or someone you’re worried about.