Call me cynical if you will, but I wasn't surprised by yesterday's news that some rape victims have had their compensation payments reduced by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) simply because they'd had a bit to drink prior to the crime. It's not like it's the first time I've ever heard this particular rape myth, the one that says that inebriated women are somehow partly responsible for their own rapes; indeed, it's the same tired argument that's used against those irresponsible and feckless women who choose to dress "provocatively" or who dare to walk about unchaperoned after dark, in fact against any woman, ever, who isn't able to prove to the world that she's led a totally blame-free and virginal life. Let's face it, if you're a woman, and you're one of the nearly 14,000 a year who's brave enough to report a sex crime committed against you, someone, somewhere, will find a reason to argue that it was all your fault: and yet people still wonder why tens of thousands more women choose not to report these assaults.

No, the only thing that surprised me about this story was that the woman-blamer in this instance was a body that's accountable to the government for the way it spends its money, and I'd only just finished reading about how tackling rape is one of the top priorities for the ministers for women. In light of their decision to reverse this insult and to pay the 14 women the money to which they were entitled, I'll give CICA the benefit of the doubt this time and assume that that message hadn't quite filtered its way down yet.

The progress report (pdf) issued by the ministers for women last month doesn't really tell us that much about what's being done about the endemic levels of rape and sexual violence in this country. Despite the fact that the ministers' stated priority 2 is "Tackling Violence Against Women and Improving the Treatment of Women who Commit Crimes," the only real progress the document mentions in relation to tackling rape is the £1m in emergency funding that was pledged in March to ensure that no more rape crisis centres would be forced to close, well, not this year at least. The report also talks about the government's commitment to increasing the numbers of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs), but as I've mentioned in a previous article on this issue, these centres are set up to deal with victims in the immediate aftermath of an assault, and offer no services to women coping with the long term-effects of rape on their lives. Rape crisis centres on the other hand, provide support and services to any woman who has experienced rape, be it last week, last year, or indeed, 20 years ago.

As always, there appear to be a lot of good intentions, and a lot of stated aims in the report about the ministers being committed to making things better for women, but practically speaking, it offers very little beyond the same old same old empty words and false optimism. For without a significant financial investment in Rape Crisis and other women's sector organisations there's only limited scope for improvement, and apart from this year's emergency monies, there's little sign of any future or more long-term funding. Meanwhile the stop-gap funding is coming to an end, and once more organisations providing vital services to women are left wondering how on earth they're going to manage when that money runs out.

But at least it's not just me and a few feminist activists who are getting frustrated by the lack of progress on this issue; now even the UN have announced that they're fed up with the current state of affairs. In a recent report (pdf) by the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) a number of serious government failings have been cited, including the lack of sustainable funding for women's voluntary and community organisations, specifically Rape Crisis centres. As Sheila Coates and Lee Eggleston pointed out in the New Statesman, the CEDAW Committee heavily criticised the UK for being in breach of key elements of the UN convention. The CEDAW report states for example that:

The Committee is concerned about the continuing prevalence of violence against women and girls, including domestic and sexual violence, and about the low prosecution and conviction rates of sexual violence cases. The Committee remains concerned about the absence of a comprehensive national strategy and programme to combat all forms of violence against women and girls. The Committee notes with concern the lack of adequate support and services for victims, including shelters, which is compounded by the funding crisis facing non-governmental organizations working in the area of violence against women and the forced closures of a number of such organizations.

It goes on to say:

The Committee calls on the State party to ensure the full implementation of legislation on violence against women, as well as the prosecution and conviction of perpetrators. The Committee recommends the expansion of training activities and programmes for parliamentarians, the judiciary and public officials, particularly law enforcement personnel and health-service providers, so as that they are sensitized to all forms of violence against women and can provide adequate support to victims. It recommends the expansion of public awareness-raising campaigns on all forms of violence against women and girls. The Committee also recommends the establishment of additional counselling and other support services for victims of violence, including shelters, and requests the State party to enhance its cooperation with and support, in particular adequate and sustained funding, for non-governmental organizations working in the area of violence against women.

That's right, "adequate and sustained funding, for non-governmental organisations working in the area of violence against women". So where's the money Harriet? Vera? Anyone?

The government has until 2011 to respond to the UN, and to explain what changes it has made in the time between now and then to ensure it adheres (pdf) more fully to the convention. The ministers for women on the other hand, have got until this time next year, when they'll no doubt be publishing yet another progress report. But what's clear from both yesterday's Guardian editorial, and the CEDAW report, is that the situation as it stands must not be allowed to continue. Women and girls deserve better than this; they deserve better than to be blamed for the crimes committed against them, they deserve better than the current postcode lottery of inadequately funded services, and most of all they deserve justice. It looks like the ministers have a busy few years ahead.