Wandsworth Council has announced its new three-year strategy to help prevent violence against women and girls.
The Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy (VAWG) aims to bring about a long-term change to men’s attitudes, ensure agencies are able to identify and respond to abuse, provide suitable safety and support for victims and tackle offenders in Wandsworth.
The strategy is a culmination of more than two years worth of discussions with borough residents and groups and advised by the experiences of survivors.
Wandsworth Council’s community safety spokesman and chairman of the Safer Neighbourhood Board, Councillor Jonathan Cook, said: “This new plan is very ambitious, and we have engaged very widely with victims, public sector partners and local people to ensure we get as full a picture as possible of what help is needed and by whom.
“Now it is time to deliver, and we are determined to work closely with our partners to achieve our goals.
“Through our strategy and action plan we will work hard to ensure the people who live in Wandsworth feel safe, listened-to and supported and that we take actions against physical and psychological violence.”
A needs assessment conducted by Wandsworth Council back in 2019 showed that:
- Domestic abuse is generally under-reported, especially amongst people over 65
- The demand for services is likely to grow
- Young women and girls are over-represented as victims of domestic abuse
- There is a gap in knowledge around the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community
- There is a need to improve our understanding of harmful traditional practices
- More targeted services are needed to reach black and ethnic minority communities
The strategy also includes plans to work closer with schools and colleges and ensure that there are pathways to practical and emotional support for survivors.
For more information about VAWG, click here.
Featured image credit: Eugene Regis via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 2.0 license
