Chancellor Commits £15 Million to Tackle Misogyny
New fund to support mentoring, training, and public awareness campaigns as part of 'everyday fixes' ahead of Budget.
Sarah Connor
The Chancellor will invest £15 million in a new fund to tackle misogyny.
The funding package supports mentoring for young people, provides training initiatives, and launches public awareness campaigns. This announcement forms part of a series of 'everyday fixes' introduced ahead of the Budget, designed to help people navigate the cost-of-living crisis.
Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson stated, "Day to day misogyny – from sexist slurs and harassment to workplace discrimination – quite simply has no place in modern Britain." She added, "The time for talk has long passed, which is why this Government is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to supporting women and girls."
The time for talk has long passed, which is why this Government is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to supporting women and girls.
The 'misogyny prevention fund' is expected to support the work of a national taskforce. Bridget Phillipson chairs this taskforce, established last month, with its first meeting focusing on young people before addressing workplaces, digital spaces, and social cohesion.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt emphasized the broader impact. He stated, "Every woman and girl deserves to feel safe, respected and able to pursue their ambitions – at school, at work and in their communities." Hunt confirmed, "This investment will back practical action to tackle misogyny head on, while bringing businesses and philanthropists on board so we can go even further – giving women and girls more opportunity to succeed and hope for the future."
Every woman and girl deserves to feel safe, respected and able to pursue their ambitions – at school, at work and in their communities. This investment will back practical action to tackle misogyny head on, while bringing businesses and philanthropists on board so we can go even further – giving women and girls more opportunity to succeed and hope for the future.
Ministers hope the investment will attract additional funding from businesses and philanthropists, aiming to increase the reach of these schemes.
However, some critics argue that past campaigns, while praised, have done relatively little to address the major threats of violence against women and girls.
Statistics from the Office for National Statistics show that in the year to March 2026, an estimated 12.8% of females aged 16 and over in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse, sexual victimization, or stalking. The same statistics indicate an estimated 8.9% of males experienced these issues.
Joy Morrissey claimed Labour is not serious about tackling the crisis of violence against women and girls. She further claimed the hard-pressed British taxpayer would fund projects to tackle the 'manosphere' with this £15 million.