A new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy was agreed at the Islington Council Executive meeting on 25 November.
Wearing a white ribbon to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Cllr Sue Lukes introduced the new strategy and said: “everyone in this room is affected by violence against women and girls”.
The strategy includes initiatives such as educating young people, particularly men, about VAWG, and offering support to people who recognise they have a problem with using violence in relationships.
The five-year VAWG strategy was developed alongside key partners including Islington Police and Solace Women’s Aid. It prioritises the prevention of violence and abuse, and keeping perpetrators “visible and accountable”.
In 2020, the Council announced an additional £2m of funding to combat VAWG over three years, which has so far been used to increase capacity of council-funded VAWG services by 57% in the last year. Cllr Lukes described this as a “real achievement” as many public services struggled due to cuts and pandemic-related pressures.
The new strategy will build on these successes. At the Executive meeting, Cllr Lukes outlined ambitious plans for some initiatives already in place, including trebling the number of premises signed up to the Safe Havens scheme. More than 100 premises are currently signed up to the scheme in Islington.
Public premises like libraries and cafes can register as Safe Havens, providing a refuge for those who feel harassed or in danger on the street.
The strategy will come into force against a backdrop of rising reports of domestic abuse, with 90% of nationwide VAWG services seeing an increase in demand since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
