International Women’s Day: Five Years of Accelerating Action in Response to Perpetrators of Domestic Abuse

On International Women’s Day, we recognise and celebrate the resilience, leadership, and achievements of women across the globe. Annually observed on the 8th of March, the day serves not only as a reminder of the strides made towards gender equality, but highlights the ongoing efforts to create a safer, more equitable world for women. With ‘Accelerate Action’ as the theme for International Women’s Day 2025, we are shining a spotlight on some of the many women within our Action on Perpetrators Network who are driving action in response to perpetrators to increase the safety and freedom of adult and child victim-survivors as we mark the Network’s 5-year anniversary.  

5 Years of the Action on Perpetrators Network  

The Action on Perpetrators Network, made up of over 200 members playing vital roles within and beyond the domestic abuse sector, was first convened under the Drive Partnership’s 2020 Call to Action for the Government to develop a strategic approach to perpetrators of domestic abuse. This Call to Action was supported by over 125 organisations with shared aspirations of developing a sustainable and effective perpetrator strategy to stop the cycle of domestic abuse and the incalculable harm caused to victim-survivors. As a result of the Call to Action, the Action on Perpetrators Network’s founding policy aim was achieved with the Government committing to publish a perpetrator strategy, which it fulfilled within the publication of the 2022 Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan and its Pursuing Perpetrator Pillar. This important milestone was widely welcomed by the Action on Perpetrators Network, which collectively responded to the Government’s strategy outlining the positive commitments alongside areas for further development.  

But the work of the Action on Perpetrators Network did not stop then. For the past five years, the Network has continued to meet on a monthly basis to share expertise, respond to new developments, and work together to improve the national response to perpetrators and increase the long-term safety and freedom of all victim-survivors. Through this collaboration, the Action on Perpetrators Network played a key role in the development of the Drive Partnership’s 2024 Call for Further Action. Following the new Government’s pledge to halve Violence Against Women and Girls within a decade and utilise every government tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence, the Call for Further Action outlined key recommendations to strengthen the response to perpetrators and address ongoing systemic gaps.  

There has been positive progress in response to perpetrators of domestic abuse in recent years – however, as the Action on Perpetrators Network marks its fifth anniversary, its mission is as important as when it began. Domestic abuse remains at epidemic levels in the UK, with one woman killed by an abusive or ex-partner every five days. Each year, more than 75,000 people in the UK are at high or imminent risk of being murdered or seriously injured as a result of domestic abuse, yet fewer than 1% of perpetrators receive a specialist intervention that might prevent further high-harm behaviour. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We know that ending domestic abuse is possible, but we also know that it requires a genuine commitment to tackling the root cause and addressing harmful perpetrator behaviour. The Action on Perpetrators Network’s shared focus remains firmly on improving the national response to perpetrators to stop domestic abuse and increase the long-term safety of both adult and child victim-survivors. Together, we are turning the tide on domestic abuse. 

Celebrating women accelerating action  

This International Women’s Day, we are spotlighting some of the many women across our Action on Perpetrators Network who are accelerating action in the mission to stop domestic abuse. Their dedication is truly transforming lives and, in their own words, here’s how:  

Meena Kumari is Founder and Director of H.O.P.E Training & Consultancy, which was established in 2008 and is informed by Meena’s frontline experience working with victims, perpetrators, children and young people. Meena is also Co-Chair of the Drive Partnership’s Advisory Group to co-design groups developing specialist perpetrator responses, and a valued member of the Action on Perpetrators Network since it first began.  

Meena said: “I lead and support a range of training, advocacy, research and creative projects, often with a focus on the experiences and needs of people from Black and Racialised communities. This includes the H.O.P.E. Digital Art Project, establishing the H.O.P.E. DA/SV Calls, and collaboration with academics to diversify research and call for policy change. I worked with the Drive Partnership in 2021/22 on a research project about the lack of diversity in the workforce and the subsequent pilot of the H.O.P.E Leadership Programme for Black and Racialised staff, which is now a successful, ongoing programme. I am committed to campaigning, raising awareness and working with professionals to improve responses to domestic abuse, sexual violence and abuse, and safeguarding. 

“I have been involved in the network since its inception and have always been keen to ensure that any national perpetrator strategy ensures all victims are included and protected. Through this group, I then became involved in the Drive Partnership’s National Systems Change work and was appointed Co-Chair of the Advisory Group to the co-design groups looking at how we develop responses to perpetrators of domestic abuse across South Asian communities and Black African, Caribbean and Mixed Heritage communities. This long-term systems change work is a vital part of accelerating action.” 

Jo Todd CBE is founding CEO at Respect, the UK domestic abuse charity providing the national voice on perpetrators, male victims, and young people. Jo has worked in the domestic abuse sector for 32 years – looking back at the progress in responses to domestic abuse, Jo said:  

“When Respect started out 25 years ago, there was no perpetrator sector to speak of. Some individuals and organisations were doing important work, but it wasn’t coordinated or recognised as an essential part of tackling domestic abuse. In policy and planning, perpetrators were invisible. Celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Action on Perpetrators Network is a clear milestone on the journey to change this and a hopeful sign of the momentum we’re building. The network is a key forum for the sector to accelerate action and has achieved a great deal by coming together. As we hold the government to account on their pledge to halve VAWG in a decade and address the root causes of abuse and violence, this will continue to be crucial.” 

Caitlin McCullough is the Domestic Abuse Policy Lead at Cranstoun, a social justice organisation with dedicated teams working to offer support and empowerment to people experiencing domestic abuse and end the cycle of harm by challenging and changing harmful behaviour. Caitlin said:  

“Alongside refuge and IDVA provision, we deliver perpetrator interventions at every level of harm and risk: from educational interventions with children and young people, to voluntary group-work and 1:1 work with medium risk adult perpetrators, to working as a Drive Project delivery partner for high-risk, high-harm perpetrators. We are always assessing and innovating perpetrator interventions, seeking to understand what works and applying that learning to our practice. We look for the gaps in provision and develop expert responses to fill them, for example with our LGBTQ+ Change+ perpetrator programme, our Reset programme that works with children experiencing or displaying harmful behaviours, and our Remove work that led to the multi-agency development of Restart, a programme that includes perpetrator housing pathways, trains social workers, and provides direct support to victims/survivors. As an organisation, we also deliver services in the areas of criminal justice, housing and homelessness, substance use, and children and young people. We seek to integrate this expertise into our responses to domestic abuse through training our frontline staff, and through developing programmes that combine service areas such as C-DAIR, which takes learnings from our criminal justice diversionary work to deliver a domestic abuse diversionary programme. 

“Membership of the Action on Perpetrators Network is a really useful way to connect with fellow changemakers who believe that abuse is not inevitable, and who are willing to share their expertise with each other. As a policy campaigner, I find it to be an essential space for updates from our community on the issues on the ground, and to hear learnings from across the country that we can implement on the frontline and call for from commissioners and lawmakers.” 

Julie Smith is Domestic Abuse Specialist within the Violence Reduction Unit at the Office of the Northumbria Police & Crime Commissioner, and a valued member of the Action on Perpetrators Network. Reflecting on the intersection between her work and Network, Julie said:  

“The Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit at the OPCC has taken a public health approach to tackling serious violence. This includes understanding what works around primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. The VRU conducted a ‘strategic review of responses to perpetrators across Northumbria’ with the aim of strengthening responses to perpetrators. This provided ourselves and partners a much better understanding of the breadth of responses required and insights into ‘what good looks like’ in responding to domestic abuse perpetration which is helping ensure our responses are safe and effective. This review outlined a series of recommendations that have since been adopted by the 6 local Domestic Abuse Partnership Boards across Northumbria. Some significant progress has been made in the last 3 years by the VRU and partners including the local authorities, police, probation, health and our specialist DA services. This has included the development of a range of responses to perpetrators through programme implementation and workforce development. There is still much more to do, but some of the achievements to date have been significant due to effective multi-agency collaboration. 

“The work of the VRU which has always included domestic abuse within the serious violence duty started at around the same time as the Action on Perpetrators Network. Being able to connect with a group of like-minded people, from commissioners, sector leads, academics and service providers has really helped inform our strategic response such as being able to draw on good practice and what good looks like. It also helped us elevate the priority around tackling perpetrators not just through supporting the Call for Action at a national level but also translating this down to a local level.  We have gained a lot from being part of the network and hope that it continues.” 

A huge thank you to everyone who has been part of the Action on Perpetrators Network so far. To sign up to network updates and meetings, please contact info@drivepartnership.org.uk. 

To the amazing women dedicated to ending domestic violence—you inspire us every day. We honour and celebrate the incredible women who have paved the way before us and those who continue to work tirelessly each and every day to create a safer future free from abuse.