Prevention, education and safeguarding: culture change at every level will be crucial to how we tackle violence against women and girls.

In the final podcast of this season’s Committee Corridor, host Caroline Nokes MP hears from three women who have taken part in select committee inquiries which consider different aspects of violence against women and girls. 

The term “violence against women and girls” is used to describe a wide range of abuses, from harassment in work and public life to domestic abuse, sexual assault and the most serious offences.

Andrea Simon, the Director of End Violence Against Women Coalition; Dawn Dines, founder of Stamp out Spiking, and Carolyn Harris MP, a member of the Home Affairs and Women and Equalities Committees, explore the interventions which are required to confront behaviour which normalises violence against women and girls. The podcast includes content on sexual harassment and violence in schools, spiking, stealthing and discussion of the investigation and prosecution of rape. 

Ending violence against women and girls “is everyone’s business”, Andrea tells Caroline. “We know that ultimately, we live in a world that unless we address those underlying causes and excuses for violence against women, we won't be able to create the change that we need to see.”

Your host, for the final time in this series, is Caroline Nokes, Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee and the Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North. 

We understand that the issues raised in the podcast may be sensitive or upsetting and the following organisations may be able to offer support or further information:  

Samaritans - Call 116 123 - 24 hours a day, every day | Email jo@samaritans.org

Refuge: free, 24 hour national domestic abuse helpline: Home | Refuge National Domestic Abuse Helpline (nationaldahelpline.org.uk)

Rape Crisis England and Wales: Want to talk? | Rape Crisis England & Wales

Support from women's aid: Home - Women's Aid (womensaid.org.uk)

Respect: Men's advice line Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men | Men's Advice Line UK (mensadviceline.org.uk)

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Around a quarter of the UK's adult population have signed a petition to Parliament. It's one of the ways that UK residents can alert members of Parliament to concerns that matter to them and make their voices heard.

Petitions to the UK Parliament e-petition site ask for a change to the law or to policy. Since launching eight years ago, more than 30,000 petitions have been created, attracting more than 110 million signatures – and 350 of them have been debated by MPs. 

Today, podcast host Catherine McKinnell MP, unwraps how the process works and ask how petitions can make a difference, through the experience of Andy Airey.

Andy is one third of ‘Three Dads Walking’ who petitioned Parliament to make suicide prevention a compulsory part of the school curriculum.

Andy's daughter Sophie took her own life in 2018, aged 29. He campaigns alongside Mike Palmer and Tim Owen, who lost their daughters, Beth and Emily, at the ages of 17 and 19.

They are joined by Nick Fletcher, the member of the Petitions Committee who opened the debate in the House of Commons. Nick is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Don Valley. 

A Professor of Politics at the University of Leeds, Cristina Leston-Bandeira works on how Parliaments engage the public, particularly through petitions. She sets out why petitions are important and how the UK compares to other countries and legislatures.

Your host, for the final time in this series, is Catherine McKinnell, the Chair of the Petitions Committee at the House of Commons and Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North.

We want to learn more about our audience and why you listen to the Committee Corridor podcast. ⁠Tell us what you think via our feedback form⁠.

In May this year, voter ID was enforced for the first time in polling booths across England. Photo identification such as a driving licence or passport will be needed to vote in the forthcoming parliamentary by-elections, future recall petitions and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales. From October, everyone will need photo ID to vote in UK General Elections.

In this podcast, Committee Corridor looks at voter ID - what is it? Why is it needed? And how will the experience of the local elections scale up in a ageneral election? 

Host Catherine McKinnell hears from Dr John Ault, Director of Democracy Volunteers, an organisation which observes elections and reports their findings to improve electoral practice in the UK and abroad. His team fielded over 150 observers at more than half of the council's holding elections and he highlights key findings from their work.  

Two select committees have tracked the progress of Voter ID closely. Their Chairs join the podcast to consider what can be learned from the recent elections and the challenges ahead.  Clive Betts MP chairs the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee while William Wragg MP chairs the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

We want to learn more about our audience and why you listen to the Committee Corridor podcast. ⁠Tell us what you think via our feedback form⁠.