Shadow home secretary says watchdog's role would cover FGM and forced marriage, and promises crackdown on revenge porn

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Labour plans to appoint a new commissioner to improve women's safety and promises to put violence against women and girls at the heart of its crime-tackling agenda, the shadow home secretary told the Guardian.

Yvette Cooper also intends to propose that a future Labour government would introduce a violence against women and girls bill in its first Queen's speech, which would create a new position along the lines of the children's commissioner.

The proposed watchdog role would have a remit to inspect and report on women's safety – including the traditionally difficult-to-prosecute issues of female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

The children's commissioner, with a executive team and office established under the Children Act 2004 to promote the views and interests of all children, particularly the most vulnerable, has led research in several areas, including gang culture and the impact of pornography.

Cooper is to unveil the proposed bill at the Placing Women's Safety Centre-stage event in London on Monday. She will say: "Women are being let down – by this government, by the criminal justice system, and by those who turn a blind eye when women are abused … A Labour government will put women's safety centre stage – with new laws, higher standards, stronger prevention work."

Cooper has also told staff that she wants the issue of sexual and domestic violence will be one of the Home Office's "core pillars" alongside terrorism, immigration and policing in what amount to her first concrete legislative proposals ahead of next year's election.

Other measures to be proposed by Cooper include:

• People who post intimate pictures of their former partners online in so-called revenge porn attacks, or who blackmail them with such images, could face new criminal charges

• Sex and relationship education would be made compulsory in schools and will be updated to tackle online safety and online exposure to pornography.

• A ban on the use of community resolutions by the police for perpetrators of sexual violence and domestic abuse. A community resolution resolves a minor offence or antisocial behaviour incident through informal agreement between those involved. Instead, those found guilty of such behaviour could end up with a criminal record.

Cooper's proposals will also be seen as a criticism of the work done by the police, particularly as she plans to introduce spot checks for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to monitor rape cases that have been dropped by the police and not passed on.

Despite recent slight improvements, CPS statistics from 2012-13 revealed a 30% drop in rape cases referred by the police, at the same time as an increase in the number of reported rapes. Campaigners believe the rise was due to increased media attention.

"When more women are going to the police with allegations of rape and yet fewer cases are reaching court, let alone ending in conviction, we need to look at reforming the criminal justice system," says Cooper.

With two women a week killed by a partner or former partner, and some areas reporting that 20% of 999 calls are made regarding domestic violence, Cooper is to heavily criticise the current government for its focus on the issue, describing the extent of it as hardly "a fringe issue".

Previously announced Labour proposals would also force every police force across England and Wales to publish performance tables for cases relating to domestic abuse and sexual violence, in a bid to expose the areas where convictions rates are falling.

Although the coalition government has won plaudits for its work on combatting sexual violence abroad, it has failed to improve conviction rates in the UK.