Plans to tackle misogyny in schools could take up to 20 years to significantly impact society, according to safeguarding minister Jess Phillips. She outlined measures to protect women and girls in the wake of a National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) report estimating that 2 million women are victims of male violence annually, describing it as a “national emergency.”
Labour’s mission includes halving violence against women and girls within a decade by targeting perpetrators and addressing root causes. Phillips highlighted “Raneem’s law,” aimed at ensuring police provide better protection to domestic abuse victims, though results from measures like addressing schoolchildren’s misogyny may take years to manifest.
Phillips emphasized the societal scope of the problem, acknowledging the long-term nature of change. She noted that evidence-based prevention education might only show benefits in 10 to 20 years.
Raneem’s law, named after Raneem Oudeh, who was murdered along with her mother Khaola Saleem by Oudeh’s ex-partner, mandates faster police response to domestic violence reports and immediate protective orders. The law also requires each police force to appoint specialist officers in emergency call centers.
An inquest in 2022 found that West Midlands police failures contributed to the deaths of Oudeh and Saleem, who made multiple 999 calls without receiving timely police intervention.
Phillips acknowledged challenges posed by the criminal justice system backlog, including delays in prosecuting domestic abusers and sexual offenders. She mentioned Labour’s manifesto plans to fast-track sexual violence cases and ensure specialist support in police call centers as immediate actions that could make substantial progress.