VAWG Strategy
The new national strategy announced in December 2025, covering 2026-2029, focusing on protection, prevention and tackling misogyny, alongside ongoing efforts
The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy has shifted expectations for organisations responsible for public safety. Organisations are expected to show how VAWG commitments are delivered in practice, across public spaces, journeys and everyday environments. This demand is strongest in sectors where incidents are public, reputationally damaging, and politically scrutinised.
Organisations are now expected to show that:
Safety commitments are being delivered in practice
Not just written into policies or strategies but visible and active in real-world environments.Training is reinforced beyond the classroom
Staff training must be supported by practical tools and systems that apply learning during day-to-day operations.The public can easily see and access support
People expect clear, trusted and accessible routes to help, reporting and reassurance, especially in public spaces and during journeys.Safety efforts are joined-up (not fragmented)
Coordinated delivery is now expected instead of multiple disconnected initiatives that create confusion and risk.Preventative measures are in place before incidents occur
Organisations are increasingly judged on what was in place beforehand, not only how they responded afterwards.
imabi exists to help organisations meet these expectations quickly, credibly and with low operational risk
imabi’s Role
imabi is positioned as a low-risk, fast-to-deploy delivery layer that helps organisations demonstrate VAWG strategy delivery in real-world settings to the public, staff and government, without replacing existing systems
Selling outcomes - not features
Providing evidence and visibility - not more policies
Reducing risk through action – not paperwork
Transport Operators (rail, bus, taxi)
What’s driving action: reputational risk and regulatory scrutiny
Goal: improved passenger experience and community safety, and reduced risk
Why and how imabi fits: reinforces staff training in practice and gives passengers a clear, trusted route to support links and reporting during journeys
imabi helps operators evidence VAWG delivery to DfT by reinforcing training in practice and giving passengers a clear, trusted route to support and reporting
Local Authorities & Community Safety Partnerships
What’s driving action: scrutiny, funding accountability and coordination challenges
Goal: safer streets, improved public health and community safety
Why and how imabi fits: provides a visible, measurable way to deliver VAWG priorities locally without building new infrastructure
imabi Connect gives councils a visible, measurable way to deliver VAWG commitments locally, without building new infrastructure
Night-time Economy
What’s driving action: licensing, reputation and public confidence
Goal: council-funded, not venue-funded (where possible)
Why and how imabi fits: enables a consistent, low-burden approach to safety across multiple venues, supporting both customers and staff
imabi gives venues a credible, low-burden way to show they take safety seriously (for customers and staff)
Education
What’s driving action: safeguarding beyond campus boundaries
Goal: improved student services, safeguarding and retention
Why and how imabi fits: extends safeguarding into journeys, social spaces and everyday life, where many risks occur
imabi helps education providers extend safeguarding into everyday journeys, social spaces and off-campus life, offering students clear support, reporting routes and reassurance wherever learning and living take place
Businesses/Employers
What’s driving action: duty of care, wellbeing and staff retention beyond the workplace
Goal: support HR function through improved wellbeing and risk prevention
Why and how imabi fits: supports safety beyond the workplace, particularly for lone, mobile or shift workers
imabi supports employers to demonstrate duty of care beyond physical worksites, helping protect lone, mobile and late-shift workers with practical safety tools
In practical terms, imabi supports:
Lower reactive spend
Fewer crisis-driven decisions
Stronger answers under scrutiny
Calmer narratives post-incident
imabi does not promise perfection - it delivers resilience
Why timing matters for VAWG strategy delivery
The VAWG Strategy has created expectations before the existence of solutions
Organisations need solutions they can deploy NOW - not in two years’ time
Internal builds are too slow and politically risky
imabi already exists, is live, and aligns with policy language
Frequently Asked Questions
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The UK VAWG Strategy sets out a cross-government approach to preventing violence, supporting victims and survivors, and tackling perpetrators. It focuses on prevention, early intervention, partnership working and improving safety across public spaces, transport, workplaces and communities.
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Delivery of the VAWG Strategy is shared across local authorities, Community Safety Partnerships, transport bodies, education providers, employers and voluntary organisations. The strategy expects coordinated, place-based action rather than delivery by a single organisation.
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VAWG strategy delivery means turning national priorities into visible local action. This includes improving prevention, enabling safer reporting, supporting early intervention, strengthening partnerships and ensuring people can access trusted information and support in real-world settings.
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The strategy emphasises preventing harm before it escalates. This includes improving awareness, reducing barriers to reporting, identifying risk earlier, and creating safer environments through coordinated action across public services, transport networks, communities and workplaces.
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The strategy recognises that violence and harassment often occur in everyday settings. Improving safety in public spaces, transport systems and workplaces is central to prevention, increasing confidence and ensuring support is accessible where people live, travel and work.
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Organisations can show progress by demonstrating practical action rather than policy alone. This includes visible prevention activity, accessible reporting routes, partnership working and insight into local issues, helping translate strategic commitments into real-world impact.