Keir Starmer believes a cultural change to combat violence against women can happen - in the same way as caning school children was banned in the 1980s.
In a speech on his mission to tackle crime, the Labour leader said: "From the people of this country, I draw belief - change can happen and it can happen quickly.
“People forget – it was only in the 80s when the physical punishment of children in schools was banned, and huge cultural change has followed.
“So why can't we imagine a society where violence against women is stamped out everywhere?”
He also vowed to hold social media companies accountable for the "social evil" of “bombarding young minds" with misogyny and violence.
The former Director of Public Prosecutions said “standing up to the big tech companies” is as important to tackling child criminal exploitation as targeting county lines gangs.
Speaking to an audience in Stoke-on-Trent, a key area in the Red Wall where Labour must win back seats if he is to become PM, Mr Starmer said: “Seriously - how can we ignore the fact a child can go onto the internet and buy a machete as easily as a football?
"It’s exactly the same thing with the social media algorithms that bombard young minds with misogyny.
"Both are social evils, both an example of where greed comes above good. So my message to the big tech companies is this - the free ride is over.
"If you make money from the sale of weapons, or the radicalisation of people online, then we will find ways to make you accountable.
"You wouldn’t get away with it on the streets and you won’t get away with it online.”
The pledge comes after former Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield called for a social media levy to fund children’s mental health support in this newspaper.
Ms Longfield told the Mirror: “Children are falling into crisis, mental health services are overwhelmed, and on current trajectories there won’t be support teams in every school until at least the end of the decade.
“It is only right that social media companies, who are contributing to the problem, help to provide some of the cash to solve it.”
Crime and policing has come under intense scrutiny this week following the publication of a damning report that found homophobic, racist and sexist culture within the Metropolitan Police.
Baroness Casey, whose review was commissioned in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder, said there may be more officers like her killer Wayne Couzens or serial rapist David Carrick.
In a powerful end to questioning by the Home Affairs committee on Wednesday, Baroness Casey listed Sarah Everard, Mina Smallman's daughters, and the victims of Stephen Port and David Carrick, as she said: "The reform needed is on behalf of them... we owe it to them to get change," she said.
Mr Starmer used today's speech to set out four goals in Labour’s mission to make Britain’s streets safe, one of which was to restore confidence in every police force to its highest ever level.
The others included halving knife crime incidents and the levels of violence against women and girls, and improving the proportion of crime solved.
Mr Starmer said the “police have been failed by this Government”, blaming the “pernicious effect” of austerity and cuts to public services.
He added that Tories don’t understand “working people” and the effect of crime in their communities.
“Because whatever the crime: anti-social behaviour, hate crime, serious violence, it’s always working people who pay the heaviest price.
“Working class communities who have to live under its shadow,” he said.
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