Solace Women’s Aid’s vision is of a world where women and children live their lives free from all forms of male Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG). 

What do we do?

• We work with influential decision makers nationally and across London to improve the lives of women and girls who have experienced violence so they can achieve independent lives free of abuse. 
• We represent the experiences of the survivors we support and our frontline workers to seek change
• We respond to consultations and policy announcements pertinent to VAWG and our policy priorities.
• We take steps to ensure that the Government, Parliament and other key stakeholders are working to prevent violence in our society. 

What are our policy priorities?

Women and children are experiencing violence right now.  With the Government’s commitment to halve VAWG over the next decade, Solace’s key priorities are:

• An ambitious VAWG Strategy: One centres the most marginalised survivors, including those facing multiple forms of discrimination and those with vulnerable migrant status.
  
• Prioritisation of Prevention Efforts: Societal attitudes and behaviours that drive the endemic levels of VAWG will only change if we prioritise and invest in prevention efforts, including working with perpetrators to prevent reoffending.
  
• A criminal justice system that is fit for purpose, addressing the low prosecution rates, inconsistent police responses and court-case delays that let victims down. We also call for more gender-informed responses to domestic abuse, such as the expansion of the Operation Soteria method.
  
• Calling for long-term sustainable funding for the VAWG sector. We would encourage a move away from tender-based commissioning towards a finance model that provides grants and focuses on long-term solutions instead of crisis management.  
  
• Safe and affordable housing for VAWG Survivors. We must remove the barriers to survivors accessing housing, including removing the exemption for survivors aged 35 and under from the shared accommodation rate, and expanding priority to housing to include all types of VAWG.
  
• Address women’s homelessness. Violence and abuse are near-universal experiences for women experiencing rough sleeping, with homeless accommodation often being inaccessible and unsafe. Women’s unique experiences must be considered in outreach and service approaches. Read about our Rough Sleeping census work here

You can download our latest policy brief below

Are you interested in Solace’s work?

We work with key stakeholders, including MPs, peers, councillors and wider decision makers. If you are interested in working with Solace and our priorities, contact our Public Affair’s Manager, Kathryn Parsons at k.parsons@solacewomensaid.org.