Veronica Oakeshott, Head of External Affairs at Women’s Aid, comments:  

“Women’s Aid welcomes the Victim’s and Courts Bill receiving Royal Assent. This legislation makes some important changes that survivors of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) have long called for.   

“We know from our work with survivors that many women and children have been let down by the complex criminal justice system which, for too long, has failed to recognise and prioritise their needs. This is especially the case for marginalised survivors, who face significant barriers to seeking justice and further prejudice in the systems intended to bring them justice. The failures have been so extensive and the lack of understanding of the complexities are so profound, that less than 1 in 5 women feel able to report their experiences to the police.  

“The government has committed to halving violence against women and girls in the next decade and this Bill is promising significant improvements. We are pleased to see that victims and bereaved families will now have longer to challenge unduly lenient sentences, giving grieving families the opportunity to make decisions without undue pressure. We are also pleased to see that non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) will no longer be exploited to cover up criminal conduct.  

“We also welcome new limitations to parental responsibility for perpetrators, though this needs to go further. Parents who perpetrate violence against women and children pose a clear and significant risk of harm to their children in multiple forms. It is a narrow and insufficient approach to treat child sexual offences as the only threshold for restricting parental responsibility. We are looking forward to new laws committed to by the Government in October that remove the presumption of support for parental contact where there is domestic abuse and the child does not want to see a parent, or it is unsafe for them to do so. We know from our years of research on child homicides, that without this change children will continue to die as a result of unsafe contact.  

“Improvements for survivors who are in the justice system or considering reporting to the police, are not just about legislation but also about the resourcing of high-quality specialist services. The specialist organisations that support victims through complex criminal proceedings continue to face a funding crisis. We urge the Government to prioritise work planned to reform commissioning practices, so specialist services receive the funding urgently needed.” 

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Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, comments:  

“Having been witness to the recent evidence session given in Parliament with the aim of informing and shaping the Courts and Tribunals Bill, I was left feeling disappointed on behalf of survivors. Of course, parliamentary debate, robust questioning and evidence gathering is absolutely essential when it comes to informing legislation, yet receiving testimony and evidence on this subject, with survivors present in the room, requires a different and trauma-informed approach.  

“Survivor voices and experiences are absolutely essential if we are to create a criminal justice system that is survivor-centred and delivers the justice it promises. However, when survivor evidence is given it must be received with care, compassion and above all, respect. I felt that the evidence sessions I attended did not consistently achieve these standards of care, leaving survivors feeling disheartened and in some cases, retraumatised.  

I urge the parliamentarians to ensure that all those who work with, and engage with survivors, receive specialist training, to understand the impact that crimes like domestic abuse have on women and children, and how discussing these experiences can make them feel. Survivor voices are invaluable and must be treated with the care and respect that their bravery deserves.” 

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Ellie Daniel, Head of Policy and Survivor Services, comments:  

“We welcome the proposed amendment to the Crime & Policing bill to treat all suicides where there is a history of domestic abuse as a potential homicide. Too many women who have been subjected to devastating abuse, including coercive and controlling behaviour, by a current or former partner have been denied justice following suicide, because their death was not considered to be directly at the hands of their perpetrator. We owe these women and their grieving families more. More understanding of the insidious nature of domestic abuse, more joined up responses to believe and support women and children; and more justice for those victims who so tragically have their lives taken.” 

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Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, comments:

“We are delighted to see the government announcement of the repeal of the presumption of parental contact from family court cases, as part of Courts and Tribunals Bill yesterday. This marks a major campaign victory for Women’s Aid, our sector partners and the survivors we have worked with, including our ambassador Claire Throssell MBE. We are hopeful that this historic decision will help ensure the safety of children is put before the rights of abusive parents. 

‘Claire’s two sons, Jack and Paul, were murdered by their abusive father and she has been campaigning for this landmark change ever since. The proposed change in law will mean that from now on, children should be protected and that abusers will no longer be able to use family courts as a weapon against their victims.  

“We will now be calling for specialist domestic and sexual abuse training to be mandated for judges, in recognition of the fact that years of pro-contact culture will take time to reverse. Education and better understanding of domestic abuse are essential to ensure that preventable mistakes are avoided and both women and child survivors are kept safe.” 

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Domestic Abuse Act 2021

Campaigning by survivors, activists and Women’s Aid secured many vital changes to the Act. A key change being that children were recognised as “victims in their own right”, meaning children are survivors, rather than just witnesses of abuse.

No Woman Turned Away

The No Woman Turned Away project supports women and their children fleeing domestic abuse, who face barriers when trying to access a safe refuge. 

A team of specialist domestic abuse practitioners responds to referrals from VAWG organisations and offer personalised support to survivors of domestic abuse in their search for a safe space to live. This includes refuge searches and liaising with other professionals.

Family Justice

Women’s Aid has been campaigning tirelessly for over 20 years to ensure that children’s safety is prioritised in the family courts. Publishing reports and running campaigns to highlight the failings of the justice system in protecting children. 

Child First

Our Child First campaign started in 2016 and calls on the government and all family courts agencies to make the family court process safer for women and children survivors of domestic abuse. We want an end to avoidable child deaths as a result of unsafe child contact with dangerous perpetrators of domestic abuse. 

Hear Them or Grieve Them campaign 

In 2016 we published our Nineteen Child Homicides report and nearly a decade on we published a second report: Nineteen More Child Homicides. This research found that in the last 30 years, 67 children have been killed by a parent who was also a perpetrator of domestic abuse, in circumstances relating to unsafe child contact. Our ‘Hear Them or Grieve Them’ campaign shines a light on the lost lives of these children and asks the government to hear children’s voices and protect them from unsafe family court practices. 

Presumption of parental involvement

After a decade-long campaign by Women’s Aid, our survivor ambassador Claire Throssell MBE, and countless survivors, are delighted the government has finally made the historic decision to repeal the legal presumption of parental involvement. This is a major campaign win which will help save lives and gets us one step closer on our mission to keep women and children safe. Now we’ve got commitment to changed the law, we’re calling for a whole-system approach to centre children’s voices in the courts, and beyond. 

The Monster Who Came To Tea 

In 2025 Women’s Aid launched a sobering children’s book the ‘Monster Who Came to Tea’ calling on the Government to improve  government funding does not reflect the reality of domestic abuse, leaving vital services struggling to meet the needs of women and their children without any dedicated funding. 

Find out more

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Interim Public Affairs & Campaigns Manager

Location: Remote (UK based) with regular travel to London
Salary: £42,750 (Grade 5) per year (plus Inner London Weighting of £3,483.94, if eligible)
Length of contract: 12-month fixed term
Hours per week: 37
Closing date: We reserve the right to adapt the advert at any time per organisational circumstances and to close this vacancy early for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Interviews: Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis

Who are Women’s Aid?

Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children. We are a federation of just under 180 organisations which provide over 300 local lifesaving services to women and children across England. For 50 years we have campaigned on behalf of our members and survivors to shape policy and practice, and to raise awareness of domestic abuse.

Our support services, which include our Live Chat, the Survivors’ Forum, the No Woman Turned Away Project, the Survivor’s Handbook, Love Respect (our dedicated website for young people), the national Women’s Aid Directory and our advocacy projects, help thousands of women and children every year.

Purpose of the Interim Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager

The Interim Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager will ensure that Women’s Aid can mobilise campaigners and achieve influence and change in the context of the Government’s upcoming VAWG strategy and relevant legislation, including the Victims and Courts Bill. The postholder will support the Head of External Affairs to implement key cross-organisational strategies, oversee our new stakeholder management system and lead the public affairs and campaigns function of the team. The postholder will enhance the profile of Women’s Aid among decision makers and the public and represent the needs of domestic abuse survivors to policy makers and influencers including the UK Government and Parliament.

What we are looking for in our Interim Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager:

• Experience of planning and delivering successful public affairs, campaigns and policy strategies to achieve change in a national charity.
• Excellent understanding of the Parliamentary and legislative processes
• Proven experience of stakeholder management, meeting with Parliamentarians and other key external stakeholders, working in partnership with other charities, and organising events targeted at key government and political stakeholders.
• Robust understanding of the issues facing women and children affected by domestic and abuse.
• Experience of developing engaging policy, public affairs and campaign literature, and influential reports and briefings.
• Proven experience in line management.
• Excellent communication, networking, public speaking and writing skills for a range of audiences, including survivors of domestic abuse and politicians.
• Ability to carry out in depth analysis of complex policy information and disseminate to key audiences.

Benefits of joining us as our Interim Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager include:

• Generous Annual Leave: 25 days + 2 Company Holidays + 8 UK Bank Holidays, with an extra 1 day per year after 1 year of service, up to a maximum of 5 additional days.
• Valuable Pension Benefits: a generous 7% employer contribution.
• Flexible Working: remote working, a generous TOIL scheme, and family-friendly policies
• Wellness and Support: including a cycle to work scheme, free optician check-ups, annual flu vaccines, access to a 24-hour employee assistance counselling helpline, a ‘Headspace’ app for mindfulness, and ‘Reflective Practice’ sessions.
• Making a Genuine Difference: in a rewarding role where your work will directly result in helping Women’s Aid to be able to provide lifesaving services for women and children across England.

How to apply

Please read the job description and person specification before applying. You must specify in your email to us when applying that you meet the essential criteria. Follow this link: to complete your application form and upload your CV.

NB:

• Women only need apply under schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality Act 2010
• If you have been shortlisted for interview, you will be informed by email.
• All posts, including remote posts, must be based in the UK.
• Women’s Aid is committed to quality, equality, and valuing diversity. Applications are particularly welcome from Black and minoritised women.
• Please read our Single Sex Statement on the Women’s Aid Website
• Please note that applications will be reviewed, and interviews arranged, on a rolling basis, so for the best chance of success, please apply ASAP.

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Alexandra Williams, Public Affairs and Campaign Manager at Women’s Aid, said:

“Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on the mental wellbeing and physical safety of survivors, and it is essential that they are properly supported as they seek justice and recover from their experience. Inconsistencies in support across the country have created a postcode lottery for survivors, with some ultimately not receiving the support they need and deserve. Women’s Aid welcomes plans from the Ministry of Justice to improve the consistency of support for those who have experienced domestic and sexual abuse but more need to be done to ensure women and children are able to access the best support possible.

Community-based domestic abuse support services offer a range of vital service to survivors that enable them to recover from trauma and rebuild their lives after abuse. Given the acute funding challenges for community-based support services, as well as a lack of understanding of the support they provide, in the newly introduced Victims and Courts Bill, we are recommending that the Ministry of Justice publishes guidance on specialist advocacy support, in line with their IDVA and ISVA guidance. This must cover the holistic support and intersectional advocacy provided by specialist ‘by and for’ organisation supporting Black and minoritised, D/deaf and disabled, and LGBT+ survivors, who often experience multiple forms of disadvantage and discrimination when trying to access support.

Women’s Aid urges the government to work with specialist domestic abuse services, and their national membership bodies, to produce a statutory definition of “community-based support domestic abuse services” which captures the breadth of services available. The is needed to clarify what types of organisations should be funded, and ensure that only specialist domestic abuse organisations, with expert knowledge of violence against women and girls, are providing support.”

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Isabelle Younane, Head of External Affairs at Women’s Aid, said:

“Women’s Aid welcomes the introduction of the Victim’s and Courts Bill today, and the long overdue opportunity that this legislation presents to improve the support available for survivors of domestic abuse, and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG). Sadly, we know that for far too long, women and children have been let down by the complex criminal justice system, which fails to recognise and prioritise the needs of survivors.

Barriers throughout the criminal justice system, including a lack of understanding about the complexities of domestic abuse by professionals, poor support for survivors, and discrimination, leaves many unable to receive justice. In fact, a long history of failing within the criminal justice system has destroyed survivors trust, with less than 1 in 5 women feeling able to report their experience to the police.

The government has committed to halving violence against women and girls in the next decade, but if they are serious about doing so, we need to see root-and-branch reforms to the criminal justice system that reflect the needs of survivors. Commitments need to be made to deliver long-awaited reforms to the family courts so that they prioritise the safety of children, and to ensure proper investment in specialist domestic abuse services – as these chronically under-funded services are crucial to women and children continuing through the justice system and to recovering from their experiences. Women’s Aid also urges the introduction of a new aggravated offence for domestic abuse to improve the visibility of this prevalent issue in the criminal justice system.”

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