As someone who has been campaigning on domestic violence I was very pleased to hear the announcement by the One Wales Government that they’re launching a consultation on domestic abuse. This is great news but I do feel that we need a Welsh strategy to deal with violence against women specifically. There are of course cases of men being abused and we can’t ignore that fact but I fell that the disproportionate number of women being affected by violence warrants a specific strategy to tackle the issue.

There is an opportunity here through this consultation for everybody to contribute and it is vital that anyone with experience of domestic abuse should have their say in order to ensure that the final strategy addresses all of the issues.

domestic abuse takes many forms in our society, and it is vital that the strategy recognises this. Therefore it is important that people from all walks of life, with experience of domestic abuse take part in the consultation process, and have their say.

It is a positive step that the Welsh government is developing a Wales specific strategy, designed to fit Welsh needs in terms of domestic abuse. However I am concerned that this strategy doesn’t address violence against women specifically. Scotland already has a violence against women strategy in place and one is currently being developed in England. I am concerned that without such a strategy in place, women in Wales will miss out on vital help and support. I will be raising these issues with the matter with the Minister in order to impress upon him the need to develop this strategy into one that addresses the issues faced by women specifically.

It is important that we have a proper strategy in place to deal with these issues in Wales. We need to empower people to speak out and get the support they need. I am hopeful that the strategy will play an important role in stopping the cycle of violence. This consultation document highlights how a Christmas advertising campaign led to an increase in calls to the helpline. By developing an effective strategy we can ensure that successful initiatives like this are improved upon and repeated.