New Report: UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls: Visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Date: 22nd July 2025
Category: General measures of implementation, Violence against children

---

In February 2024, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls Reem Alsalem conducted an official visit to the UK. The aim for the visit was to assess state of gender-based violence in the United Kingdom, evaluate gaps and challenges as well as recommends measures for preventing and combating violence against women and girls.

Key Findings:

1. Gender vs. Sex Clarification: The report highlights a critical conceptual gap in understanding of sex and gender. It emphasises the importance of differentiating biological sex from gender identity to accurately understand and respond to violence against women and girls.
2. Data collection: There are inconsistences in practices across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in disaggregating data by sex. This approach hinders the development of policies tailored to women’s specific needs.
3. Emerging forms of violence: There are new manifestations of violence that are now gaining attention such as Digital abuse and non-consensual intimate sharing and violence against women and girls in public spheres, including transit and nightlife contexts. Again, there is a lack of a coherent consent framework in legislation and policy.
4. Systemic issues in support services: While specialist services such as shelters, helplines and advocacy exist, access is often hindered by a lack of funding, regional disparities in service provision and limited outreach to underserved communities.
5. Prevention strategies: The report highlights the need for proactive prevention strategies, including educational programmes engaging boys and men in challenging harmful social norms and toxic masculinity.

Recommended Actions:

1. Standardise sex-disaggregated data collection across all UK jurisdictions to inform policy and support services.
2. Clarify consent legally, adopting a clear, cohesive statutory definition to close loopholes and improve judicial responses.
3. Scale up prevention efforts, including school curriculum and community engagement that reframes masculinity in positive light.
4. Ensure sustainable funding for front-line support services to reduce regional disparities and guarantee access for all communities.

• Click here to access the full report