Male violence against women and girls (MVAWG) blights our society and creates grief, harm and even death for far too many.
MVWAG includes a wide variety of crimes, from domestic abuse to rape to stalking to sexual exploitation to gender-based homicide, to online harassment and more.
MVAWG crimes too prevalent in Bedfordshire and across the country.
In the last year, the Bedfordshire police have recorded 16,970 domestic violence offences, 2,285 rape and serious sexual offences and 5,307 stalking and more.
There have been other horrendous incidents of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), trafficking and modern-day slavery where the victims have been women and girls – victims because of their gender.
In 2026, in a modern, supposedly enlightened country, this is evil and wrong.
Women and girls should never have to live in fear of gender-based crime at home, at work or on the streets.
Violence against women and girls is not just a women’s issue. It is a human rights issue. It is an issue of social justice.
Bedfordshire Says No…
I often speak about the triangle of hope – social justice, criminal justice and human rights forming a triangle that offers hope. This is relevant in the case of MVAWG, as is my commitment to tackle the societal causes of crime.
Bedfordshire Police and its public sector and community sector partners have launched ‘Bedfordshire Says No to MVAWG’.
I was pleased to attend the campaign launch at Bedfordshire Police Headquarters a couple of weeks ago. The campaign is important.
It includes enforcement of the law by the police supported by the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts.
It must include preventative and other contributions from local authorities, schools, and the NHS, and voluntary and community groups across our county.
This is not just a matter for the police and its partners. As citizens, we have a responsibility to challenge misogynist behaviours and gender-based crime.
We must collectively say “No to MVAWG.” And follow up by action. Men and boys have a special responsibility to stand up for decency and respect women and girls.
We must take and are taking action to prevent these crimes. We must challenge all misogyny, and we must challenge male misogynistic behaviour and attitudes.
Manosphere
MVAWG crimes are fuelled by misogyny, which in turn is too often fuelled by so-called online influencers, social media, and online-accessed sites.
It is hard to understand how men can act or deem it right to be able to exploit and harm women and girls for any reason. Those responsible must be held to account and face the full force of the law.
A few days before I attended the launch conference, I had the good fortune to visit a highly active and impressive voluntary organisation based in Bedford. ACCM UK.
Read: Boys are being groomed online by manosphere grifters and Ofcom must step up
ACCM (UK) was set up in 2008 to support women who are victims of illegal, harmful traditional practices, including Female Genital Mutilation, forced arranged marriage and honour-based violence, all of which were part of domestic violence.
Its focus is on those communities most affected by these vile crimes in Bedfordshire.
The charity continues to bring about positive social change, safeguarding the well-being of girls and women at local, national, and international levels by eliminating harmful traditional practices, including FGM, Forced Arranged Marriage, and Honour-Based Violence.
I am pleased to be supporting ACCM by funding a programme to assist, advise and empower victims of FGM. ACCM UK works in partnership with the Centre for Youth and Community Development (CYCD) in Luton to deliver this vital service.
MVAWG is a core strand of my mission as Police and Crime Commissioner to protect women and children.
I am supporting and collaborating with women’s groups and voluntary and community organisations to ensure that victims and survivors can access specialist and empathetic support and advice.
I am encouraging these groups to be more vocal and to advocate for societal change. I am asking them to call out and challenge inappropriate behaviour, inappropriate or inadequate public policy and practice by the police, myself, and other public bodies.
We must secure change to ensure that women and girls have the freedom to be safe and never experience the evil that is MVAWG.
This is a monthly guest column provided by
elected Police and Crime Commissioner, John Tizard (Labour).
It is published unedited and does
not reflect the views of the Bedford Independent.
