16 Nov 2022

Roundtable Summary: Delivering the Digital Strategic Intent for Tackling VAWG

8 November 2022 saw the launch of techUK’s partnership with Policing to deliver their digital agenda to prevent and tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). The launch of this work took place via a virtual roundtable with members and national VAWG Policing leads, with an exciting announcement involving a newly formed techUK VAWG Digital & Tech Working Group. Full recording available.

The roundtable welcomed over 60 attendees across the techUK membership and Policing. We heard from Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, VAWG Taskforce lead who outlined the purpose of the strategy, work of the taskforce and progress to date. She then introduced guest speaker, Zara McDermott, who fronts 3 (and soon to be 4) BBC documentaries investigating areas such as revenge porn, online abuse, sexism and rape culture in UK schools. Zara, as a victim of online abuse and trolling, spoke about her own experiences and her work to reinforce the importance of safeguarding everyone online.

We then heard an outline of the VAWG digital strategic intent (DSI) from Giles Herdale, NCA TRACER, which also included a call to action from industry to step up via the new working group being established by techUK.

Giles broke down the 3 pillars included in the DSI and how Policing and industry need to work together to:

Create a single online reporting route for violence against women and girls, which enables victims to report and to access the support they need, when they need it.
Adopt, adapt and create products that develop a digitally competent, confident and capable workforce in order to relentlessly pursue perpetrators and protect victims.
Make offender-hostile online environments, working with tech providers to design out VAWG in online spaces and for the tech industry to support upstander not bystander behaviour.

The session then opened for a Q&A and discussion which included the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), College of Policing and VAWG force leads. This also included hearing from the Police Digital Service, their work and how VAWG ties in with the digital evidence project and programme focusing on tackling rape and serious sexual offense (RASSO).

If you want to hear more about techUK's working across the VAWG programme, please reach out to the team using the details below.

Cinzia Miatto

Senior Programme Manager - Justice & Emergency Services, techUK

Cinzia joined techUK in August 2023 as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager.

The JES programme represents suppliers, championing their interests in the blue light and criminal justice markets, whether they are established entities or newcomers seeking to establish their presence.

Prior to joining techUK, Cinzia worked in the third and public sectors, managing projects related to international trade and social inclusion.

Email:: [email protected]

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Dave Evans

Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK

Dave is a former senior police officer with the City of London Police, bringing extensive experience as a Detective and senior leader across frontline operations and multi-agency partnerships at regional and national levels.

He has led and supported responses to major national incidents, including mass casualty events, counter-terrorism operations and large-scale public disorder, working closely with partners across the criminal justice sector.

Alongside his public service, Dave has also held leadership roles in the private sector, managing projects focused on intellectual property and licensing. His combined experience across both sectors gives him a deep understanding of how collaboration between service providers and end users can strengthen resilience and trust.

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Fran Richiusa

Junior Programme Manager - Justice and Emergency Services, techUK

Fran is the Junior Programme Manager for the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme, supporting project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and policy development across portfolios including law enforcement, justice, and the fire sector.

Fran joined techUK in May 2025 as a Programme Team Assistant for the Public Sector Markets Programmes before progressing to her current role.

Prior to joining techUK, she gained experience working across local government and VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) charities, where she developed a deep understanding of public service and advocacy.