The Government Equalities Office has developed a communications guidance and toolkit, Tackling Violence against Women and Girls: a guide to good practice communication in order to support and inform government communication in the area of violence against women and girls.  Reducing violence against women and girls requires a long-term shift in public attitudes, and effective and strategic communications will play a key role in achieving this.

Baroness Vivien Stern CBE is leading an independent review into the way rape complaints are handled by public authorities in England and Wales. The review will examine the whole process of a rape complaint from the moment a rape is first disclosed until the court has reached a verdict.

Baroness Stern, who was asked to undertake the review by the Government, will focus on how to ensure the key agencies involved in rape complaints, such as the police, local authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, the health service and third sector organisations work more effectively together to improve rape complainants’ treatment.

Reporting in February 2010, the recommendations from the review will focus on:

• How to ensure better treatment of rape complainants;
• How to encourage more victims to report rape in the first place;
• How to ensure more cases progress further through the criminal justice system; and
• How to build confidence in the way complaints are handled.

More information, including how to respond to the Call for Evidence, can be found at http://www.equalities.gov.uk/stern_review.aspx