Petition
Protect Girls. Teach Women’s Rights and Abuse Prevention in Schools
Rejected
20 signatures
What the petition asks
Over 50% of students aged 11–19 report hearing misogynistic remarks weekly. We call on Parliament to require all schools to teach age appropriate modules on women’s rights. Embedding this in RSHE guidance and Ofsted inspections will ensure consistent delivery.
Although RSHE is statutory, it often lacks consistent focus on women’s rights. We urge Parliament to require that all UK schools teach age appropriate modules on:
- Women’s rights and gender equality
- Healthy relationships and consent
- Forms of abuse, including coercive and online abuse
These lessons help prevent violence against women and girls, an obligation under UK and international law. They are also key to the DfE’s preventative education agenda and RSHE review.
- Women’s rights and gender equality
- Healthy relationships and consent
- Forms of abuse, including coercive and online abuse
These lessons help prevent violence against women and girls, an obligation under UK and international law. They are also key to the DfE’s preventative education agenda and RSHE review.
Why it was rejected
The UK Government or Parliament was already taking the action it asked for.
On 16 July 2025, the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities announced the publication of new statutory guidance for schools on the teaching of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education.
The Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities stated:
"The guidance includes significant new content to ensure that RSHE plays its full role in the prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG), as part of our government mission to halve VAWG.
"This includes a focus on building healthy relationships skills from the start of primary. It includes an emphasis on opening conversations with young people about positive masculinity and femininity, and ensuring that nobody is stigmatised in these conversations. The guidance is clear that teaching about sexual ethics must go beyond teaching about consent, so that young people understand how to act with kindness and respect in all of their relationships."
You can read more about this here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-16/hcws825#:~:text=The%20guidance%20includes%20significant%20new,in%20all%20of%20their%20relationships.
The Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities stated:
"The guidance includes significant new content to ensure that RSHE plays its full role in the prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG), as part of our government mission to halve VAWG.
"This includes a focus on building healthy relationships skills from the start of primary. It includes an emphasis on opening conversations with young people about positive masculinity and femininity, and ensuring that nobody is stigmatised in these conversations. The guidance is clear that teaching about sexual ethics must go beyond teaching about consent, so that young people understand how to act with kindness and respect in all of their relationships."
You can read more about this here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-16/hcws825#:~:text=The%20guidance%20includes%20significant%20new,in%20all%20of%20their%20relationships.
Timeline
| 15 Jul 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 15 Aug 2025 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
20
Status
Rejected
Rejected
15 Aug 2025
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 7 Aug 2026.