Minister for Women and Equalities holds vital roundtable with Northamptonshire charities

The focus being on violence against women and girls, victim support, and the systemic failures in the justice system.

The meeting brought together representatives from leading organisations including Northamptonshire Rape Crisis, NDAS (Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service), C2C Social Action, Women's Institute and Age UK. Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone and Deputy PFCC Marianne Kimani joined the discussion, demonstrating the coordinated approach being taken to address these critical issues.

Charity leaders shared their frontline experiences and insights into the current challenges facing women and girls from across our region. Representatives highlighted how chronic underfunding has severely limited their capacity to provide essential services, while court backlogs have left victims waiting years for justice.

Michelle Shaw from C2C Social Action felt "It was wonderful to be able to represent those we support, to highlight some of the challenges women face and discuss how policy and processes can be improved to protect people and our communities."

"The roundtable provided a vital opportunity for those working directly with victims to share their expertise and experiences," said Mike Reader. "Under this Labour government, we're already seeing real action to eliminate violence against women and girls - from placing domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms through Raneem's Law, to rolling out specialist rape courts and providing independent legal advocates for victims. These are immediate, concrete steps that will help save lives and deliver justice."

The discussion highlighted how Labour's mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade will require sustained investment in local support services and fundamental reform of the justice system. Representatives welcomed the government's commitment to fast-tracking rape cases through specialist courts and providing independent legal advocates for victims.

The meeting marked an important step forward in addressing these critical issues, with all participants committed to continuing their work towards creating a safer, more supportive environment for women and girls in our community.