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Jacqui Smith has been accused of "spin" and "gimmicks" over the government's latest anti-domestic violence campaign.
The criticism came as the home secretary launched a campaign to highlight support for women who are in violent or abusive relationships.
But at a roundtable discussion in central London, chief executive of Refuge Sandra Horley launched an attack on the government's record.
She described action on domestic violence up to now as "piecemeal" and condemned government plans for a database of serial domestic abusers.
"We have had enough talking - we need action," said Horley.
"As for the perpetrators' register, it is a gimmick and doesn't address the root problem.
"The majority of violent men don't come to the attention of police and it won't keep women safe.
"Police can't be expected to monitor relationships and love lives of offenders."
She added that the government "is hoping to get away with useless initiatives like this register, and it is hypocritical to sound tough and do little".
An independent investigation is taking place into the way police handled the case of a 24-year-old woman, Katie Summers, who was stabbed to death by her former partner.
The home secretary also warned that the cases of Summers and Sabina Akhtar demonstrate that not enough is being done.
The creation of a register is among the policies being set out in a cross-government consultation document on reducing domestic violence and protecting women.
The consultation also includes powers to ban offenders from the family home and details new policies on 'honour' killings and the sexualisation of young girls.
Earlier, Smith told the meeting that violence against women was unacceptable in any circumstance.
Nick Hardwick, chairman of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, insisted that the police are doing everything they can to prevent domestic violence.
"We have a cluster of domestic violence cases coming to us at the moment," he told the BBC.
"And there are a number of common themes with what has gone wrong."
Hardwick suggested that the fundamental of "good, basic policing" could help prevent cases of domestic violence.
"Is the patrol officer listening carefully to what the victim is trying to say? Are they recognising the risk factors? Do they have the right back-up in terms of resources and supervision?" he asked.
And Hardwick called for specialist domestic violence services to "link into support for the women in the community".
"It is when those things are not effectively brought together that you sometimes see these sorts of tragedies," he warned.
And he also claimed that the criminal justice system has changed in its approach to violence towards women.
"Around domestic violence, there used to be a sense in the criminal justice system that because something was domestic, that somehow was a mitigating factor," Hardwick said.
"I think now it is recognised that it should be an aggravating factor because of the betrayal of trust that that involves.
"What we are trying to do is use the experience of these deaths like Katie's to make sure that things are learnt from them."
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd