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Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a scourge on our society and takes many forms. As we mark Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, it is a moment for all of us involved in VAWG services to renew our focus on tackling the abuse that women and girls experience every day.One form of VAWG that takes place across London is honour-based abuse. Yet it remains poorly understood and too often goes unrecognised. So what exactly is it?The Crime and Policing Act 2026 provides a statutory definition of honour-based abuse, describing abusive behaviour motivated by a belief that a person has behaved, or may behave, in a way that brings shame or dishonour on themselves, their family or community. The abuse can involve violence, threats, intimidation, coercion or control.It can take many forms, including psychological, physical, sexual, financial, spiritual and emotional abuse. It can manifest through forced marriage, female genital mutilation and domestic abuse, as well as controlling behaviours such as restricting what someone wears, who they see or their access to a mobile phone. The insidiousness of this form of abuse can lie in its subtlety. Harm can take place within families and communities under the guise of 'protection', while victims may be isolated from the people and services that could help them.This abuse occurs across communities and cultures, and we still have a long way to go in understanding the scale and nature of these harms. Just under 3,000 honour-based abuse offences were recorded by the Home Office in the year to March 2025, and specialists believe that's an underestimate.Part of the problem starts at the first point of contact. Too often, victims and survivors are not identified as such when they approach the police. Culturally competent training for people working in statutory and non-statutory services, led by by-and-for services, and consistent identification and reporting, will help us to understand the true scale of the issue and ensure support reaches the people who need it.These pressures cost money, often a great deal of it. But we cannot allow VAWG services to become an afterthought. We should ask ourselves what kind of society we want to live in: one that allows its most vulnerable residents to slip through the cracks, or one that gives people the support, safety and opportunity to build a better future?By-and-for services are particularly vital. These are specialist organisations, rooted in the communities they serve, which can provide an environment where victims and survivors feel understood, safe and able to speak openly about what they are experiencing.This matters enormously in cases of honour-based abuse. A victim's proximity to the perpetrator can make coming forward especially difficult. If the perpetrator is a family or community member, reporting abuse can carry fears about isolation, retaliation or further harm. Specialist, trusted organisations can provide a vital route to safety and support.Combatting VAWG is an enormous challenge, but I find inspiration in the dedication of those who support victims and survivors on the front line, day in day out. I have seen first-hand the transformative support that practitioners can provide to those who need it most.As the leader of a London borough, I am well acquainted with the pressures facing our capital - from the housing crisis to the growing demand for social care.These pressures cost money, often a great deal of it. But we cannot allow VAWG services to become an afterthought. We should ask ourselves what kind of society we want to live in: one that allows its most vulnerable residents to slip through the cracks, or one that gives people the support, safety and opportunity to build a better future?This is why I am proud that London's boroughs come together through the cross-party London Councils Grants Programme to invest in services supporting some of the capital's most at-risk residents. The current 2026-30 programme includes nearly £15m of funding for services dedicated to tackling VAWG, including specialist organisations such as the Asian Women's Resource Centre, which supports women facing honour-based abuse.Honour-based abuse thrives where it goes unseen. Those of us who fund, run and work alongside VAWG services have a shared purpose to bring it into the open, and to work towards a future where every woman and girl can live free from violence and abuse.Cllr Andreas Kirsch is chair of London Councils' Grants Committee

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VAWG

Honour-based abuse thrives where it goes unseen

By Cllr Andreas Kirsch | 07 October 2026

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