Waveney Womens Aid

28/10/2026

The Queen has spoken out against the stigma surrounding violence against women and girls saying talking about the issue could “put an end to it forever”.

Camilla made her comments during a day-long conference tackling the issue in Wiltshire, where the Queen has her private home, and organised by her Queen’s Companion Fiona, the Marchioness of Lansdowne.

Camilla, a long-time campaigner on domestic abuse, told delegates at the event staged at Marlborough College near Swindon: “Talking is what we have to do. Domestic abuse was a taboo subject that nobody talked about, it was hush hush, but now everybody is getting up there and talking about it.

“And hopefully if we keep on talking and having gatherings like this we will, I don’t know how many years, but we might be able to put an end to it forever.”

Lady Lansdowne chairs Wiltshire’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) coalition, a multi-agency partnership established in 2024 to tackle domestic abuse, stalking and violence against females in the county.

The Queen’s Companion said a “groundswell” was needed to combat violence against females and EVAWG was training Women’s Institute members to be a point of contact for Wiltshire women who may have been abused.

Camilla took to the stage to tell invited Wiltshire representatives from police, local authorities and other agencies: “I would just say that there are so many heroes here” referencing survivors of domestic violence in the audience.

She added: “And I’m very impressed that, as a resident of Wiltshire, that Wiltshire is leading the way in this quest to end domestic violence.”

Camilla said she “realised the depth of the horror” of the issue when talking to survivors from domestic abuse charity SafeLives, which she now supports as patron.

And she described as “fantastic” Diana Parkes, whose daughter Joanna Simpson was killed by her estranged husband Robert Brown in 2010. Brown was convicted of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

“She lost her beloved daughter and a lot of people would have hidden away, shut the door just, you know, buried themselves forever. But she got up, she got out there, and she spoke to people,” said the Queen.

Among the guest speakers was Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, and Jess Phillips, former minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls.

After the Queen left Lady Lansdowne said her organisation was talking to other counties: “If we can get groups like we’ve got in all the counties, that can just start filtering this message out – that it’s not acceptable.

“I think a groundswell from the bottom up is what we need to change attitudes.”

✍Tony Jones

28/10/2026

THIS HAS TO CHANGE!

If someone wants to take part in any kind of s*xual activity with another person then they MUST get their consent.

Every.
Single.
Time.

It doesn’t matter if they’ve been married to the other person for 50 years or if they've had s*x before or if they were flirting all evening or having a drink – if the other person doesn’t consent, it’s r**e. And it's illegal.

No matter when or where it happened, who the perpetrator was, or how you dealt with it after - you are not to blame.

If you have been impacted by r**e or s*xual abuse of any kind, we are here for you 💜

Get help: https://r**ecrisis.org.uk/get-help/

25/10/2026

Tesco is taking an important step to support employees experiencing domestic abuse, becoming the first UK supermarket to introduce paid “safe leave.”

The UK’s largest private-sector employer, with 300,000 employees, will now offer up to three days of paid leave for workers experiencing domestic abuse. That time can be used to attend court hearings, find emergency housing, change locks, arrange childcare or separate finances, without having to sacrifice their pay. Employees also won't be required to provide formal evidence of abuse to access the leave, and managers have been trained to recognize warning signs and connect workers with support.

The need for policies like this is staggering. Domestic abuse affects at least 1 in 5 women, and more than 3 million people experienced some form of domestic abuse in England and Wales last year, the majority of them women. According to SafeLives, eight women are killed every month by a current or former partner in England and Wales.

Other countries have already taken steps to protect workers experiencing domestic abuse. Northern Ireland passed legislation in 2020 providing for 10 days of paid leave, and similar laws exist in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.

For someone trying to leave an abusive situation, having the time, financial security and support to take those first steps can make an enormous difference. More employers should be taking note.

25/10/2026

A new service that allows GPs to refer patients who are victims of domestic abuse or s*xual violence to specialist support has begun to be rolled out across the country.

As the Violence Against Women and Girls Adviser in the Department for Health and Social Care it has been my pleasure to work on helping to shape the ‘Steps to Safety’ programme.

NHS integrated care boards will receive funding from the Government to secure specialist support workers who will work with groups of GP practices. These workers will train GP staff, develop safety plans, and arrange access to specialist services.

Health settings are so often the first place for victims to disclose their abuse – and it is vital that we have a robust process in place to best support them.

Last month, 12 ICBs, including Norfolk and Suffolk, were selected as part of the first £34.4 million phase of rolling out ‘Steps to Safety’. The Department for Health and Social Care is also investing £15 million to boost local specialist support services for victims.

21/10/2026

18/10/2026

Now this is what using your platform for good looks like. 👏

Together with her mom, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, she's helping bring Rosa’s Place to life, a new housing development in LA’s Skid Row neighborhood for women experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic violence.

Through the Miley Cyrus Foundation, Miley has donated $1 million to the Downtown Women’s Center to help make it happen. The project will include 97 apartments, giving women a safe place to live as they rebuild their lives.