Violence against women
Mumsnet users care deeply about the safety of women and girls, and our users have consistently advocated for better provision for women experiencing abuse, and more education for children about what good relationships look like.
By Mumsnet HQ | Last updated Mar 26, 2024
They also walk the walk, helping each other to identify abusive patterns in relationships and supporting women who are experiencing violence or coercive control. Over the years we’ve heard from hundreds of Mumsnet users who tell us that our forums were instrumental in giving them the information and support they needed to build new lives for themselves and their children. (Based on an analysis of posts on Mumsnet, we estimate that around 6000 women have been supported to leave abusive relationships in the last three years.)
I am a long time member, and over ten years ago now it was Mumsnet that helped me in my darkest hours. I was a victim of domestic abuse and it was reading threads on Mumsnet that made me realise what was happening to me. Members supported me through one dreadful night too. Fortunately life is very different now.
Our campaigns
We Believe You
One of Mumsnet’s first big public-facing campaigns was We Believe You, which aimed to address rape myths. It made a big splash, going viral on social media and getting big coverage in the media, and led directly to a webchat with the-then Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer.
Domestic Abuse
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We've partnered with Surrey Police and Women’s Aid to raise awareness about coercive control in relationships and to support women who want to leave relationships in which they feel they’re constantly walking on eggshells.
Despite the high number of users who acknowledge that they have been in a controlling or abusive relationship, only half (51%) of respondents are aware that coercive control became a criminal offence in 2015.
We Can't Consent To This
In 2019 we partnered with We Can’t Consent To This to help to end the ‘rough sex defence’, making it more difficult for men to claim they killed a woman ‘by accident’ as a result of ‘rough sex gone wrong’.
The campaign started on Mumsnet after one of our users, Fiona Mackenzie, was outraged by a case in the news a couple of years ago.
I am so so glad that Mumsnet users gave their support to this campaign – Mumsnet is such a powerful campaigning force, and this campaign began right here. ~ Fiona Mackenzie
Guest Posts
Over the years we’ve had the honour of giving space to a huge array of women and campaigning organisations working on this critical issue; read on to see some of our most recent Guest Posts about violence against women.
'I’ve spent thirty years representing women like Fri who killed their abusive partners' (March 2022)
We know that the vast majority of women in prison are themselves victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and exploitation, many there as a direct result of that abuse.
'Coercive and controlling behaviour is clever. You would have thought a police officer could see it coming, right?' (January 2022)
‘It’s not too late to help Afghan women and girls’ (August 2021)
‘Why we will not be celebrating the Domestic Abuse Bill just yet’ (April 2021)
‘Mumsnet was the first safe place I had - now I’m campaigning to end forced marriage’ (March 2021)
I always expected I would get married at 18, and I did. I saw it as my only route to adulthood, independence, and autonomy. I had no real idea what any of those words meant.
Since 2016 I have been raising in the House of Lords the outrageous situation whereby GPs can charge the victims of domestic abuse up to £150 for legal aid referral letters that confirm their injuries are a result of abuse thereby enabling the victim to apply for legal aid.