The UK Government has launched a landmark strategy to combat violence against women and girls, pledging over £1 billion and introducing a ban on 'nudification' apps that use artificial intelligence to create explicit images.
Core Measures of the New VAWG Strategy
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips announced the wide-ranging plan on Thursday, December 18, 2025, stating it would save lives by addressing root causes rather than just symptoms. A central pillar involves protecting children online, with ministers vowing to make it impossible for children in the UK to take, share, or view nude images on their phones.
The government will collaborate with technology companies to develop and implement nudity detection filters on smartphones. Furthermore, it will outlaw so-called 'nudification' applications, which exploit AI to generate fake sexually explicit imagery of real people without their consent.
Lisa Squire, who has campaigned tirelessly since her 21-year-old daughter Libby was murdered by a sex offender in Hull in 2019, welcomed the strategy. She told The Mirror it finally creates a "safety net" for young people and affirmed that these measures will save lives.
Funding and Support for Victims
The substantial financial commitment includes up to £50 million in specialist funding for NHS services that support survivors of sexual violence and abuse. A significant portion of the £1 billion will be directed towards victim support and providing safe housing, areas described as desperately needing investment.
In education, teachers will receive specialist training to tackle misogyny and educate young people on challenging dangerous behaviours. The strategy represents a "whole society drive" to foster cultural change, as emphasised by Minister Phillips.
Tackling the Scale of Digital Abuse
The move against exploitative technology comes in response to alarming data. Research revealed that in just one month in 2023, over 24 million people visited nudification websites. Disturbingly, 96% of sexual deepfake images were found to depict women.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall condemned the weaponisation of technology for abuse, stating: "We will not stand by while technology is weaponised to abuse, humiliate and exploit them... People who profit from such software will feel the full force of the law."
Campaigner Roxy Longworth, who was coerced into sending intimate images at age 13, founded Behind Our Screens. She said such device controls would have "completely different" saved her from coercion, blackmail, and a subsequent mental health crisis.
Reactions and Critical Voices
While charities have commended the cross-government approach, some warn of implementation challenges. Gemma Sherrington, chief executive of Refuge, welcomed the focus on prevention but cautioned that specialist support services remain severely underfunded. She argued that without fixing this, the strategy's impact will be limited.
Similarly, Farah Nazeer of Women's Aid called the plan "commendable" but warned it could increase pressure on already overstretched services if not properly resourced.
In Parliament, Ms Phillips highlighted stark statistics, noting that 200 rapes are reported to police every day, with many more going unreported. The new strategy will also empower police forces with cutting-edge forensic technology to pursue rapists and abusers, including reopening cold cases.
The minister concluded with a powerful statement: "For too long we have accepted the statistics as simply a fact of life. Today, this government says no more."
