Barnet’s Labour councillors have announced a package of pledges on women’s safety to coincide with the final day of #16DaysofActivism, and Human Rights Day (10 December).

The pledges will form the basis of a how a Labour-led Council will work to end violence against women and girls if Labour wins the local elections next May.

The pledges are:

Build a pro-active approach to improving safety for women and girls:
Working with women’s organisations and local residents and London boroughs already leading a range of new initiatives.

Change attitudes and behaviour to end violence and abuse:
Challenging harassment and hostility being tolerated, excused and repeated through co-production with communities, schools and colleges.

Launch a full review of our public places:
Leading a community safety assessment of our streets, parks, car parks, housing estates, new developments, and transport hubs.

Create a network of safe spaces across the borough:
Developing with local partners spaces for women to seek help if they are in danger or experiencing abuse or harassment.

Review services to embed good practice across the council:
Ensuring we learn from residents’ experiences and improve services to support victims of domestic abuse, violence and harassment.

Campaign to make misogyny a hate crime:
Enabling women and girls to report cases of abuse and harassment as a hate crime, as is possible in some other areas.

The pledges follow a listening event for women and girls hosted earlier this year by Barnet Labour, and an online survey on women’s safety to mark the first day of the UN’s annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.

The results of the survey, which can be completed anonymously, will be used to argue for more resources for women’s safety locally, and to help challenge Conservative-run Barnet Council to really make violence against women and girls a priority.

Barnet Labour Communities spokesperson, Cllr Sara Conway said:“The right to live free from violence and abuse is a human right, but harassment, violence and abuse are still a daily reality for many women and girls.

“On Human Rights Day, we are making a commitment to work to end this violence and abuse. 

“This includes changing damaging attitudes and behaviours towards women that still persist in society. We need sustained awareness raising, and to work with all our residents and communities, our schools and colleges, to support them in challenging harassment and hostility that is tolerated, excused and repeated.

“Barnet Labour are determined to ensure that women’s safety is a real priority for the Council, and to put women’s voices are at the heart of a more comprehensive strategy for reducing violence against women and girls.”

Ends.

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