Our new analysis of Home Office data sheds important light on the experiences of women and girls affected by modern slavery in the UK – and raises significant questions about who is being identified, supported, and possibly overlooked. 

As the Government implements its Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy – including commitments related to modern slavery survivors – we urge them to consider these findings.  

Rising numbers, but shrinking share of the total

The number of women and girls referred to the Home Office as possible victims of modern slavery has increased substantially over the past decade, tripling since 2015 to more than 6,000 referrals in 2025. However, this growth has been outpaced by a much sharper rise in male referrals. As a result, females now account for just over a quarter (26%) of all NRM referrals, down from over half in 2015. This creates a risk that whilst more women and girls than ever are being identified as possible victims, their specific needs could be overlooked in policies and practical support. 

Sexual exploitation is most common, but not all exploitation is identified 

Since 2015 sexual exploitation has consistently been the most common form of modern slavery experienced by women and girls. Between 2021 and 2025, nearly half (47%) of female referrals involving UK-related exploitation included sexual exploitation, either as the primary form of exploitation or alongside other forms of modern slavery. Whilst the VAWG strategy focusses on sexual exploitation it is important that this does not reduce focus on the other forms of modern slavery women and girls experience.   

A worrying one in ten referrals for women and girls exploited in the UK do not specify the type of modern slavery. This lack of information has significant consequences. More than half of these women and girls received a negative decision from the Home Office at the first stage of the process (reasonable grounds). Without a positive decision these women and girls will not be eligible for specialist modern slavery support—a significant concern for safeguarding.   

Questions arise about the referral process and definitions of exploitation  

The majority of women and girls exploited in the UK (and UK & Overseas) get positively assessed at the first (reasonable grounds) stage of the identification process (70%) – higher than for male victims.  

However, our analysis reveals that for those females who get a negative decision, in more than half of cases (59%), the Home Office has concluded their situation did not meet the legal definition of modern slavery. This raises critical questions about whether referrals are being made appropriately, whether forms lack sufficient detail, whether women and girls face additional barriers to disclosure or whether definitions are failing to adequately reflect the exploitation that women and girls experience. 

UK nationals are the most common nationality of females referred — mostly children  

38% of all female victims referred for exploitation in the UK were UK nationals between 2021-2025. Strikingly, 70% of these are children, and nearly half are aged 15–17 at the time of referral.  

This contrasts sharply with foreign national female victims, who are typically adults. The data raises an important question: where are adult British women? The high number of identified British girls suggests that adult women are unlikely to be free from exploitation, pointing instead to potential under-identification or barriers to referral. 

Recommendations for the Government

The findings of this analysis raise important questions that need to be considered as the Government implements planned changes to the identification and support system for modern slavery victims and other commitments related to sexual exploitation in the VAWG strategy.  

These include: 

• exploring whether and why significant cohorts of female victims are missing from NRM referrals, especially British adult women and ensuring they are not falling through the gaps in safeguarding systems 

• understanding why the exploitation type is not recorded in referrals for such a significant proportion of women and girls 

• considering why female possible victims are failing to meet the definition of modern slavery and taking steps to address issues with the definitions and enhance training and guidance to ensure accurate referrals and safeguarding of victims  
• improving identification systems so they better capture female experiences of exploitation, particularly sexual exploitation and cases involving overlapping harms. 

Read or download Issue Brief: Female victims of modern slavery in the UK – an analysis of NRM data.

Ultimately, the data reveals not only who is being identified, but who may be being missed. Without addressing these gaps, there is a risk that many women and girls will continue to fall between systems – unrecognised as victims of modern slavery and unable to access the protection and support they need.