“We want to be respected. We want to be heard.”

Supported by ROSA UK’s Voices from the Frontline fund, this new film from Agenda Alliance centres the stories of two women, Charlie and Ola, who share insight into the challenges they have faced when seeking support, and amplifies their calls for change.

The film highlights the routine silencing of women and girls by the professionals and services they are expected to rely upon, as well as the cycle of harm that often occurs when women do not receive the right support at the right time.

Co-produced with Agenda’s alliance members and women who have experienced multiple forms of disadvantage, the concept was developed with two groups of women, one based in Lancashire and one based in Peckham, London.

Throughout these women’s stories were the long-term impacts of domestic and sexual violence, criminalisation, challenges with mental health, neurodiversity, exclusion (from school, work, and by family) and struggles with addiction and secure housing. They spoke of the lack of care, or overt racism and misogyny from professionals, as well as the barriers stigma created when attempting to access support.

A recurring theme - which cuts across all of Agenda’s work - is the significant impact of disjointed public services, with women overwhelmed by the number of professionals they are asked to engage with, while secure housing, appropriate mental health support, or compassionate treatment from social services or probation remained out of reach.

What was also clear was the transformative potential of women’s only services, especially 'by-and-for' services for women of specific ethnic or faith backgrounds. In these spaces, women felt seen, heard, and understood, and trauma-informed workers could respond with care to women’s challenges and advocate for their needs. This sense of safety and trust is crucial to effective support.

With the current government commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade and reduce the numbers of women in prison, now more than ever it is critical to listen to the voices of women with direct experience and meaningfully build solutions with their input.

We hope all those involved in designing policy, practice, and service delivery for women and girls will find something to inspire new thinking and action, as we work together for change.

Supported by ROSA UK’s Voices from the Frontline fund, and Lancashire Women.

With thanks to Pecan.

Production agency: The Saltways.

1) We must see meaningful co-production with women and girls with lived experience embedded across government policy creation to make sure women’s voices are heard. In particular, the upcoming VAWG Strategy from the Home Office, and the ongoing work of the MoJ's Women's Justice Board must engage with women and girls with lived experience of multiple unmet needs to ensure they work effectively in practice.

2) All public service workers must receive gender-, age-, trauma- and culturally-responsive training. Too often women and girls with multiple unmet needs are being let down by a lack of consistent and specific training for public service staff.

3) Funders and commissioners must prioritise long term funding for women and girls services, especially those, such as women’s centres, which can offer women community-based alternatives to custodial sentences, and with funding ring-fenced for "by and for" organisations. In the current challenging financial climate the specialist organisations working with women hold preventative solutions, which will improve women and girls' lives for the long term.