Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro’s year-long violence against women campaign
Violence against women has escalated to new heights in recent years.
The statistics are shocking. Between 2018 and 2023, there was a 37% increase in crimes related to violence against women and girls.
We know that:
• Over 100 women every year in the UK are thought to be killed by men.
• Around the world, every 11 minutes a woman or girl is killed in her own home.
• An estimated 1 in 20 adults is a perpetrator of violence against women and girls, with the real number thought to be higher.
This is not right.
Last year, over one million crimes against women and girls – including domestic abuse, rape, stalking and revenge porn – were recorded in England and Wales. This constitutes 20% of all crimes documented by the police.
The epidemic of violence against women was called a national emergency earlier this year by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
That is why Metro is today launching This Is Not Right, a 12-month campaign addressing the relentless epidemic of violence against women, that aims to both engage and empower our readers.
Because despite the troubling rise in violence against women, there is a serious and harmful lack of awareness of its scale that is inhibiting progress towards reversing the trend.
Women’s Aid exclusively shared that 72% of people underestimate the prevalence of domestic abuse, revealing a critical gap in public awareness around this urgent issue.
Julie Devey of Killed Women – an organisation for bereaved families – told Metro: ‘We live in a society that still tolerates misogyny and in many cases does not even notice it; it is so ingrained.’
The fact is, women are still not being taken seriously. According to Rape Crisis, five in six women don’t report rape, due either to feelings of shame — or the belief that police would be unable to help.
Indeed, of the 68,000 rapes reported to the police in England and Wales last year, only 5% resulted in a charge. Rape offences have a staggeringly high ‘not guilty’ plea rate of 85% – that’s higher than any other offence – even though the Crown Prosecution Service found that only 0.6% of rape reports are false allegations.
And misconceptions abound. According to the Crown Prosecution Services, 18-24 year olds held false assumptions about rape, with less than half of those surveyed recognising that if a man has been drinking or taking drugs, he is still responsible if he rapes someone.
Just 28% understand that if a person says online they want to meet up and have sex, that doesn’t mean they have to have sex when they meet.
In recent months, the government has announced new measures set out to combat violence against women and girls. Among them, it was announced that liaison officers would now be in all 999 rooms, meaning that specialist support can be given right away.
This is part of Raneem’s Law, named after Raneem Oudeh who, alongside her mother, was murdered by Raneem’s ex husband. On the night she was killed, she rang 999 four times and the previous 13 reports made about Raneem’s safety to the police led to no arrests.
In an op-ed in support for This Is Not Right, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper explains the government’s plans in more detail: ‘Our newly elected Labour Government has set an unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.’
She continues, ‘Tackling violence against women and girls is for everyone. That is why initiatives such as Metro’s This Is Not Right campaign are so important and powerful.’
Because attitudes are not changing and every day we hear of another woman who has had her life shattered by violence.
We read every day about a rape or brutal death of a woman or girl at the hands of a man: Gisele Pelicot. Rebecca Cheptegei. Sarah Everard.
And the millions of women whose names we will never know.
Women live in fear that one day, it could be them. We cannot allow the numbers to just keep rising.
That is why, just as organisations like Women’s Aid, White Ribbon and Refuge insist, it is crucial to act now.
Refuge spokesperson Abigail Ampofo explains: ‘Despite the horrific scale of VAWG that we are witnessing, this devastating, systemic issue is still not talked about enough.’
With This Is Not Right, we will be speaking to survivors, bereaved families and activists, aiming to shine a light on the lesser told stories and the aspects of violence against women that are often unexplored.
All too often, we are faced with a news cycle that instils a sense of fear and hopelessness and one that leaves us feeling disempowered. We aim not only to expose the scale of the issue, but also to empower readers of all genders to understand the role we must play together in ending violence against women.
We hope to lay out the small steps we can take to make a real difference.
The first article will be a tribute to just some of the women who have been killed by men this year, and more powerful stories will be shared every week.
You will also hear from Doreen Soulsby, whose daughter Joanne Tulip was murdered by a man now up for release, women’s safety consultant Karen Whybro about how we can literally build safer towns and cities, and MPs, activists and celebrities, who have pledged their support to the campaign.
Partnered with Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right has also been endorsed by charities Refuge, White Ribbon, Killed Women, EVAW, Women’s Trust and The Circle, whose statements you can read in full at the bottom of this article.
Do bookmark the link and check in to read weekly as This Is Not Right progresses.
If you have a story you would like to share, please contact our specialist editorial team at VAW@metro.co.uk.
Who is supporting Metro's This Is Not Right campaign?
Metro is being supported by several charities and organisations in our bid to raise awareness of violence against women.
Women's Aid
Women's Aid, the formal partner of This Is Not Right, is the UK's national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.
Randip Thompson, Director of Income Generation and Engagement at Women's Aid, says: 'Women’s Aid is proud to be supporting Metro’s This is Not Right Campaign. There is currently an epidemic of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in this country, which society needs to come together and actively challenge if we are to overcome it and protect women from abuse.
'The media has a pivotal role to play in ending VAWG, through spreading awareness of this gender-based abuse and empowering the public to take action against it. Campaigns like This Is Not Right are invaluable for positively changing narratives around abuse and ensuring that survivors feel validated and supported.'
Refuge
Refuge, the UK's largest domestic abuse organisation, works to support thousands of women and their children overcome the impacts of abuse.
Abigail Ampofo, interim CEO of Refuge, says: 'Despite the horrific scale of VAWG that we are witnessing, this devastating, systemic issue is still not talked about enough.
'Refuge will be supporting Metro on the launch of their new awareness-raising campaign as we continue on our mission to actively challenge harmful and pervasive societal attitudes around VAWG, recognising that how media write about and report on these crimes and the social issue of misogyny impacts us all.
'We must all stand together against VAWG and domestic abuse, and we look forward to working with Metro to shift perceptions and show survivors that support is out there.'
White Ribbon
White Ribbon is the UK's leading charity engaging men and boys to understand their role in ending violence against women and girls.
Anthea Sully, CEO of White Ribbon UK, says: 'As the global symbol for ending violence against women and girls, it’s important that the White Ribbon is visible and raises awareness of the importance of preventing violence against women and girls across society.
'The work that Metro has committed to doing in paying close attention to the way they report violence against women and girls is really important, and contributes to a shift in understanding about the responsibility every single person, especially men and boys, have in creating a world where women and girls can live free from the fear of and of violence.
'By positively engaging male readers, we can provide space where they can better understand the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence on women and girls and learn strategies to become allies.'
End Violence Against Women (EVAW)
EVAW is a coalition of more than 160 feminist organisations and experts from across the UK, working to end violence against women and girls in all forms.
Deniz Uğur, Deputy Director of EVAW, says: 'Media reporting has a huge influence on attitudes about violence against women and girls, which in turn influences behaviours and shapes access to justice and support. It’s crucial that reporting reflects the scale of gender-based violence, connects individual women’s stories to the systems that enable this abuse, identifies the root causes of male violence and treats our stories sensitively and with dignity.
'By informing the public, reshaping narratives, holding institutions and perpetrators to account and highlighting support services available to victims and survivors, Metro's campaign can play a powerful role in ending and preventing violence against women and girls.
'This is a pivotal moment for change – women and girls deserve better.'
Killed Women
Killed Women is an organisation and network for the bereaved families of women who were killed by men, who work to protect women's lives and ensure justice.
Julie Devey, Chair and Co-Founder of Killed Women, says: 'We at Killed Women value the support and reporting of issues surrounding Violence Against Women and Girls by Metro.
'As a campaigning network of bereaved families we have a deep understanding of the suffering of victims and co victims in this area of crime and misuse of power by men.
'Everyone has a role to play in bringing about change to create better and safer communities for women. This is not a feminist issue, this is a societal issue and one which demands that men play their part too. Men and boys need to be on board with creating a tidal change in the way women and girls are viewed and only then will we begin to embark on becoming a safer country. Talking about VAWG issues and challenging one another openly is how Metro can help bring this problem to light.'
The Circle
Founded by singer-songwriter and activist Annie Lennox, The Circle is a global feminist organisation committed to standing in solidarity and action with women facing violence and injustice across the world.
Raakhi Shah, CEO of The Circle, says: 'The relentless epidemic of violence against women is abhorrent and we, at The Circle, are working tirelessly with our grassroots partners and changemaker activists to address this injustice. We are delighted to support Metro’s This is Not Right Campaign, which seeks to shine a spotlight on the issue of violence against women and show how we can all contribute, through collective and individual actions to bring about real meaningful change.
'Joining together in solidarity with campaigns like this, can and we hope will, make a difference to the lives of women and girls here in the UK and worldwide.'
Women's Trust
Woman's Trust is a mental health charity providing free counselling and therapy for women who have experienced domestic abuse.
Heidi Riedel, CEO of Woman's Trust charity, says: 'The time for a national conversation about the escalating level and multifaceted impact of violence against women and girls is long overdue.
'For too long, the violence and abuse has been treated either as individual incidents or as a criminal justice problem. This has left women with a system they don't trust.
'Set up by a group of domestic abuse survivors and counsellors who realised there was nothing to address the emotional and psychological trauma caused by domestic abuse, Women's Trust has supported tens of thousands of female survivors over the last three decades or so.'
'It's our hope that This Is Not Right will encourage bold conversations at national, policy, local and community level. The survivors of abuse and the women and girls of the UK deserve better.'