Call For Evidence: Support For Women And Girls In Rural Areas

DEFRA, working with the Home Office and other government departments, is developing a new strategy and action plan to address violence against women and girls (VAWG).

To inform this, they are seeking evidence from rural areas on support services and delivery methods that work best in rural contexts. Specifically, they would like to know about:

• Projects that have taken place in rural areas, including those focused on other issues but which could be adapted to support women and girls at risk of abuse.
• How successful these projects were (or not), and the factors that influenced this.
• The opportunities and constraints for replicating successful projects elsewhere.
• Indicative costs of delivery.
• Any other lessons learned that could be passed on.

The Rural Services Network has been invited to contribute to this call for evidence. We are asking our members and partners to share relevant projects and insights with us by Friday, 19 September 2025 so that we can coordinate a strong rural response ahead of Defra’s official deadline.

Please contact us at [email protected] with your information, or if you would like to discuss your contribution further.