The Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Conference 2026: Prevention, Perpetrator Accountability, and Strengthening Victim Support
Previous Supporters Include
Overview
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains one of the most pressing public policy challenges in the UK, with rising offences, evolving forms of abuse, and increasing demand on frontline services. In December 2025 the government confirmed its vision and actions for meeting its ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade by improving prevention and early intervention, pursuit of its perpetrators, and support for all those affect by violence and abuse. While this is a step in the right direction, the rise of misogyny and the rapid growth of technology-enabled abuse continue to reshape the scale and complexity of harm.
- One in eight women in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025 experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking. (ONS, 2025)
- On average, almost 200 rapes were recorded by the police every single day in the year ending June 2025, which itself is likely to be an underestimate of how many of these crimes actually occur. (Home Office, 2025)
- On average, a woman is killed by a man in the UK every three days (Femicide Census)
Join us at the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Conference 2026 to hear from leading experts exploring how the UK can move from strategy to delivery, with a focus on prevention, cultural change, perpetrator accountability, and strengthening victim support across the criminal justice system and beyond.
Agenda
Registration
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Dr Rebecca Shaw, Lecturer in Law, University of Leeds (invited)
Keynote: Delivering the UK’s VAWG Strategy
- Outline progress on the national mission to halve VAWG in 10 years
- Gain insight into how the three strategic pillars (prevention, perpetrator pursuit, and victim support) are being operationalised
- Explore the role of cross-government coordination in driving systemic change
- Identify challenges in implementation at local and regional levels
- Learn how organisations can align their work with national priorities
Alex Davies-Jones MP, Parlimentary Under-Secretary of State for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Ministry of Justice (invited)
Keynote: Creating Cultural Change: Engaging Men and Boys to Prevent VAWG
- Understand the role of primary prevention in tackling VAWG
- Explore how harmful gender norms and everyday behaviours contribute to a wider culture of violence
- Identify practical approaches to embedding cultural change in workplaces, schools, and communities
- Examine how campaigns and pledges can translate into sustained behavioural change
Professor Nicole Westmarland, Director, the Centre for Research into
Violence and Abuse (CRiVA), Durham University (invited)Keynote: Challenging Misinformation and the Weaponisation of VAWG
- Identify the risks of dominant myths and their impact on policy and prevention
- Understanding why getting the narrative right is critical to achieving the government’s goal of halving VAWG within a decade
- Explore how misinformation disproportionately affects marginalised groups, including migrant and minoritised women
- Gain practical tools to challenge harmful narratives within professional roles
Annie Poland, Policy Manager, End Violence Against Women (invited)
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Keynote: The Changing Nature of VAWG: New Threats and New Responses
- understand how technology is reshaping patterns of abuse, including deepfakes, image-based abuse, and cyberstalking
- Gain insight into new and proposed legislation addressing tech-enabled VAWG
- Identify key enforcement challenges, including jurisdiction, evidence gathering, and platform accountability
- Explore practical responses for prevention, safeguarding, and victim support in a digital context
Kerry Smith, Chief Executive, IWF (invited)
Case Study: Engaging with Young People
- Understand the drivers of harmful behaviours among young people, including online influences
- Explore effective approaches to relationships and sex education (RSE) and consent education
- Learn how to engage boys and young men in conversations about respect and healthy relationships
- Examine how youth voice and co-production can strengthen interventions
Alex Somers, Head of Education, Everyone’s Invited (invited)
Questions and Answers
Lunch Break
Breakout Networking: Strengthening Frontline Collaboration on VAWG
This interactive breakout session offers participants the opportunity to share challenges, successes, and innovations in delivering effective responses to violence against women and girls through multi-agency collaboration.
Keynote: Tackling Public Sexual Harassment: From Legislation to Enforcement
- Understand the scope and implications of new legislation on public sexual harassment
- Explore how enforcement is being delivered in practice across policing and local authorities
- Identify the role of public awareness campaigns in increasing reporting and prevention
- Examine how data and reporting can be used to drive accountability and system improvement
Rose Caldwell, CEO, Plan International UK (invited)
Case Study: Strategy Implementation: A Public Health Response
- Understand how public health frameworks can be applied to VAWG prevention and response
- Explore the role of multi-agency governance and partnership working in delivering strategy
- Identify how early intervention and prevention can be embedded across services
- Examine how local areas can align with national strategy while tailoring delivery to community needs
Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, Surrey County Council (invited)
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Case Study: Supporting Victims in the CJS
- Understand the victim journey through the criminal justice system and key pressure points
- Explore how trauma-informed approaches can improve victim engagement and outcomes
- Identify practical ways to strengthen multi-agency collaboration and information sharing
- Examine how accountability and scrutiny can improve policing responses
Clare Moody, Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner and Joint Lead on Victims and VAWG, APCC (invited)
Case Study: Delivering Effective Perpetrator Intervention Programmes
- Understand the role of perpetrator programmes within the wider VAWG strategy
- Explore how programmes can safely challenge behaviour while protecting victims
- Examine the importance of multi-agency working in managing high-risk perpetrators
- Assess how success is measured, including reductions in reoffending and harm
Kyla Kirkpatrick, Director, The Drive Partnership (invited)
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Conference Close
Get in Touch
Previous Speakers
Dr Hazel Sayer
Research Fellow
Northumbria University
Ellie Softley
Chief of Staff
Everyone’s Invited
Harriet Smailes
Research Manager
Institute for Addressing Strangulation
Jess Asato MP
Officer
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse
Danielle Sharp
Chief Executive
Centre for Safer Society
Sue Harper
Deputy Director Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Prevention
Hestia
DC Neil Howells
Cyber Crime Protect Officer
West Midlands Police
Elizabeth Anderson
Chief Executive Officer
Digital Poverty Alliance
Testimonials
The event was outstanding, brilliantly organised, deeply impactful, and truly engaging from start to finish. Each session tackled critical issues around violence against women and girls with clarity and urgency, offering practical insights and survivor-centred approaches. The speakers were exceptional. A powerful and thought-provoking experience.
Excellent event with the opportunity to both network and understand themes from a variety of organisational perspectives.
The event was very informative with a range of inspiring speakers. I would recommend the event to any professionals working in the VAWG sphere as there is some excellent learning that can be taken away from the event as well as being able to network with like-minded people.
Great event – the topics covered had a great deal of impact, and the speaker’s expertise was priceless.
Why You Should Attend
✓ Gain the latest insights into the UK’s VAWG strategy and policy developments
✓ Learn practical approaches to prevention, early intervention, and cultural change
✓ Understand emerging threats including tech-enabled abuse and online harms
✓ Explore effective multi-agency responses across policing, health, and local government
✓ Networking opportunities with speakers and senior colleagues across policing, local authorities, education, and the voluntary sector
✓ 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota
Who Should Attend
| Advocates | Charities |
| Safeguarding Leads | Think Tanks/NGOs |
| Academics | Police and Law Enforcement |
| Policy Managers | Local Councils |
| University Student Support Staff | Government Departments |
| Social Workers | Schools |
| Police | Universities |
Pricing Options
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
PUBLIC SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Sponsorship
Raise Your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us HERE
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
Virtual vs F2F
Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:
- Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
- Lower sponsorship package costs
- No travel/accommodation
- Less time out of the office
- No stand materials required (lower costs)
- 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
- Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
- Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
- Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access
To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below:
