The Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Conference 2025: Building a Safer Future
Confirmed Speakers Include:
Overview:
In 2024 the police declared Violence against women and girls (VAWG) as a national emergency. VAWG manifests in complex and evolving ways, affecting millions of women and girls across the UK across the UK. To reach the government’s target of halving VAWG over 10 years a coordinated approach across policing, healthcare, education, social care, and the third sector is essential.
Agenda
Registration
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Dr Hazel Sayer, Research Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Northumbria University (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: The Normalisation of Sexual Violence
- Exploring how social attitudes contribute to the trivialisation of sexual violence
- Outlining the impact of social media in perpetuating the normalisation of sexual violence against women and girls
- Examining the prevalence of sexual harassment in schools, workplaces, and public spaces and its impact on women and girls
- Addressing the role of misogyny and victim-blaming in minimising harmful behaviours
- Discussing prevention strategies, including education, media literacy, and campaigns to shift social norms and build a culture of respect and consent
Ellie Softley, Chief of Staff, Everyone’s Invited (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Honour-based Abuse
- Defining honour-based abuse (HBA) and understanding its distinct characteristics within the broader context of gender-based violence
- Highlighting the challenges survivors face in disclosing abuse and accessing support due to fear, stigma, and community backlash
- Examining legal frameworks and safeguarding protocols designed to protect victims of HBA
- Discussing multi-agency responses and best practices for early identification, intervention, and prevention
Usha, Lived Experience Trainer, Karma Nirvana (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: Strangulation in the Context of VAWG
- What do we know about the prevalence of strangulation across different contexts?
- What are the impacts of strangulation?
- What can practitioners do in response to strangulation?
Harriet Smailes, Research Manager, Institute for Addressing Strangulation (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Case Study: Multi-Agency Approaches to Coordinated Survivor Support
- Outlining the importance of wraparound, trauma-informed care through the Coordinated Community Response (CCR) model
- Demonstrating how consistent, collaborative approaches between police, health, social care, and specialist services improve outcomes
- Sharing practical strategies for effective information sharing within a multi-agency framework
- Highlighting the role of advocacy in ensuring survivors are supported throughout the process
Adela Lategan, Communities and CCR Manager, Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Improving Services by Learning from DA Related Death Reviews
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Exploring what Domestic Homicide Reviews reveal about the spectrum of violence women and girls face – from intimate partner violence to Adult Family Violence across the life course
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How review findings expose gaps in recognising coercive control, weaponised counter-allegations, and the gendered nature of violence that services frequently miss
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Why anti-racist and intersectional frameworks are fundamental to death reviews that drive meaningful change in VAWG responses
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Moving from review recommendations to evidence-based system improvements that address root causes of violence against women and girls
Danielle Sharp, Chief Executive, Centre for Safer Society (CONFIRMED)
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Questions and Answers
Lunch Break
Case Study: Beyond the Screen: Innovating Safety and Empowerment in a Digital Age
- Digital Lifelines: Bright Sky and Online Safe Spaces
Harnessing technology to provide discreet, accessible support that meets survivors where they are, online, anytime. - Sanctuary on the High Street
Utilising everyday spaces like pharmacies and banks as Safe Spaces—trusted, visible places where help is always within reach. - Employers as First Responders
Why tackling domestic abuse is everyone’s business—and how workplaces can become critical allies in early intervention and long-term support
Sue Harper, Deputy Director Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Prevention, Hestia (CONFIRMED)
Alessia Bianco, Head of Everyone’s Business, Hestia (CONFIRMED)
- Digital Lifelines: Bright Sky and Online Safe Spaces
Keynote: VAWG as a National Emergency
- Understanding the scale of VAWG in the UK and the many forms it can take under a broadened definition
- Outlining the governments plan to halve VAWG over 10 years and the action that will be taken to achieve this
- Exploring the role of cross-sector collaboration in prevention, protection, and justice
- Highlighting the importance of survivor-centred approaches in policy design and service delivery
Jess Asato MP, Officer for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
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.
Comfort Break
Case Study: The Pursuit: Tackling VAWG Facilitated Through Cyber Crime
- A session reflecting how a “simmering society” allow cybercrime that enable offenders to monitor and control their victims. Focus on protecting yourself from cyber threats from widespread attacks to specific stalking and surveillance monitoring.
DC Neil Howells, Cyber Crime Protect Officer, West Midlands Police (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Tech enabled VAWG
- Understanding the rise of deepfake technology and its implications for consent and privacy
- Outlining how technology can be used to facilitate stalking and harassment and how to safeguard women and girls from this
- Discussing the legal and ethical challenges in regulating online content
- Strategies for supporting women impacted by harmful online content
Elizabeth Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Poverty Alliance (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Chairs Closing Remarks
Conference Close
Dr Hazel Sayer, Research Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Northumbria University (CONFIRMED)
Get in Touch
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
Excellent conference, with a range of speakers.
An excellent set of speakers covering a broad range of topics covering all aspects of the subject matter.
This training was effective and very informative. The speakers were good and made the training more interesting.
This event was a good platform for awareness and listening to individuals who have been through the experiences. This helps us when we are dealing with cases and victims as well as individuals in the work place.
Why You Should Attend
Why Attend:
✓ High-level keynotes from leading researchers, policymakers, and advocates
✓ Practical case studies showcasing best practices in prevention, response, and recovery
✓ Networking opportunities with organisations across criminal justice, education, health, social care, and the third sector
✓ Gain 8 hours of CPD points towards your annual professional development goals
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 (coming soon)
To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below:
