Policy Prize At Cardiff University’s Innovation And Impact Awards 2016

Ground-breaking work to help tackle violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence in Wales has picked up an Impact on Policy prize at Cardiff University’s Innovation and Impact Awards 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Academic expertise from Professor Emma Renold and Dr Amanda Robinson, School of Social Sciences, helped shape new legislation – the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse, and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Over several years, they collaborated with the National Assembly for Wales and Welsh Government, influencing the legislative process from White Paper to Royal Assent. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Robinson provided high-level advice to Welsh Government, working with the public and key stakeholders and helping to create the ‘vision’ of the White Paper, proposals that have since been enshrined into law. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Renold helped establish the Cross Party Group on Childhood Sexuality Sexualisation and Equality, and through her innovative research and creative forms of engagement with over 1,000 children and young people, she enabled their voices to be heard by Welsh Government. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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Dr Robinson said: “We are delighted to win this Award, which illustrates how research evidence alongside experiential knowledge from practitioners, victims and survivors and the public can be translated into policy and law. Very few countries have passed national-level legislation that is equivalent in its scope or aims to the 2015 Act.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Professor Renold added: “The passage of this legislation marks a new period in Welsh history in which universities, policy makers, the third sector, schools and young people can work successfully together to co-produce and effect political change.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, added: “The innovative work of Professor Renold and Dr Robinson shows that academic input can shape strong legislation, helping to make lives better. Collaborations and multi-faceted projects like this which bring academics and policy makers together to find real and workable solutions are the key to innovation in Wales.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​